NBA Tuesday play-in preview: Pacers reeling as home chalk
NBA's first-ever play-in tournament tips off Tuesday, featuring a matchup between the (7) Wizards and (8) Celtics and a tilt between the (9) Hornets and (10) Pacers.
Here are the top betting angles ahead of the two-game slate.
Hornets @ Pacers (-3, 227)
Nothing quite like a do-or-die situation to get the postseason adrenaline flowing.
The Pacers clocked out of the regular season tied for the sixth-worst record against the spread (32-39-1, 45.1%) but finished strong, going 6-0-1 ATS in the final seven.
Indiana won outright as an underdog twice over that span and hasn't lost against the spread since May 5 despite dealing with the injury bug. Point guard Malcolm Brogdon - who hasn't played in roughly three weeks due to a hamstring issue - is a game-time decision for Tuesday, while Domantas Sabonis, Aaron Holiday, Caris LeVert, and Edmond Sumner also landed on the injury report.
Meanwhile, the Hornets took a huge step forward in 2020-21 with a new-look roster. This is a pretty solid draw off the bat, considering Charlotte's 24-10-1 ATS in the last 35 games versus teams with losing records.
On the flip side, Indiana is a dreadful 8-20 in the last 28 as a home favorite and just 6-16 in the last 22 home games against teams under .500.
Pick: Hornets +3
Wizards @ Celtics (-1.5, 234.5)
Only the Knicks, Suns, and Grizzlies posted a better cover rate this season than the Wizards (41-30-1, 57.8%), who went a blistering 18-5-1 ATS in the final 24 games.
Washington opened as a 1.5-point favorite against the Celtics, but is now a 1.5-point 'dog around the marketplace. Scott Brooks' squad has given Boston fits lately, covering four of the last five meetings with three outright wins.
However, instead of touching the spread, we'll play the total.
Points have come at a premium in this series, notably the last five - not one of them finished within 11 points of the closing total, while three were 30 or more points off.
Celtics-Wizards last five meetings
| Score | Closing total | Points off |
|---|---|---|
| BOS 111-110 | 232.5 | 11.5 |
| WAS 104-91 | 229 | 34 |
| BOS 116-107 | 237 | 14 |
| WAS 96-90 | 225.5 | 39.5 |
| WAS 99-94 | 224.5 | 31.5 |
The Wizards may run at the fastest pace in the entire league, but they're still just No. 20 in effective field-goal percentage (53.1%) and No. 18 in true shooting percentage (56.9%).
Pick: Under 234.5
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.