2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals preview: Odds, best props and more for Celtics vs. Pacers series

The Pacers upset the Knicks in seven games to set up a date with the Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 tips off Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in Boston.

Boston has been the best team in the league -- and specifically the East -- all season long, but Indiana has had some success against them this year.

Let's take a look at some series odds and props for the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers:

• READ: Best NBA Betting Bonuses for ECFs
• READ: Updated NBA Finals odds ahead of Conference Finals

2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals preview: Celtics vs. Pacers odds, best props and more

The Celtics got here just about as easily as we all expected them to, defeating the Heat and Cavaliers in five games apiece to make it to their third straight Conference Finals and fourth in five years.

Meanwhile, not many besides Pacers fans would've picked Indiana to get past both Milwaukee (in six) and New York (in seven), but some injury luck and overall outstanding offensive performances have them in their first Conference Finals since 2014.

There was injury luck for Boston too (Jimmy Butler for Miami, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen for Cleveland), but they were still expected to get past both teams one way or another.

Both teams come into the series relatively healthy. Indy's been without Bennedict Mathurin (14.5 PPG) for the last two months, while Boston missed Kristaps Porzingis against Cleveland -- but he's gearing up to appear in this series and they've played fine without him.

Celtics vs. Pacers ECF predictions: Celtics in 5 (+190 or better)

The Celtics have the most stacked rotation from top to bottom in the league when healthy, and it'll take a lot to beat them on any given night. Both Game 2 losses in these playoffs included a franchise record shooting night from Miami and Cleveland catching them off guard without Porzingis.

They've still got Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, plus two massive veteran presences in Jrue Holiday and Al Horford.

This has been a nice Cinderella run of sorts for the Pacers and yes, they deserve their flowers for making it here. But let's not pretend that they've lucked out on the injury front in both series in these playoffs.

They faced a Bucks team that was without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the entire series and Damian Lillard for two of them (and compromised in a third). 

They then took on a Knicks team that was already without Julius Randle and suffered a slew of injuries throughout the playoffs until just bit and pieces of a roster was all that was left.

Looking at this series, the Pacers and Celtics were the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses during the regular season, but Boston was also in the top 5 for defense. Indiana was far behind at No. 27.

Even without Porzingis early, the Celtics have home-court advantage for the first two games of the series. They were also the second best road team during the season and haven't lost on the road yet in these playoffs.

Since Indiana found some success against Boston early on (one of the only teams to beat them twice this year), we'll give them a game in the series, but we expect this to be another quick one before the Celtics face their biggest challenge in the NBA Finals against either Minnesota or Dallas.

2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals favorite prop bet: Derrick White most total made 3s (+175 or better)

White has been lethal from 3-point range throughout these playoffs, shooting at a 43.35 percent clip so far.

He hit 21 in five games against Miami and another 16 in five versus Cleveland. 

White will be matched up with either Tyrese Haliburton or Andrew Nembhard, and neither are much of a defensive threat.

So much attention will be put on Tatum and Brown, that White will have many opportunities to get shots up.

His biggest threat on this prop is Haliburton, who showed how lethal he can be from beyond the arc in the Knicks series. But he doesn't always get as aggressive as he should and almost takes games off.

As the best shooter on the Celtics -- the team that'll win this series -- it's a good pick taking White with this prop.

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