The Indiana Pacers have been deemed the sizable underdogs among the remaining four teams in the NBA playoffs. The Boston Celtics are still regarded as the league's best team as they hold numberFire's highest nERD score (80.8) and have the shortest odds to win the NBA Finals (-150) when looking at FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA championship odds. Meanwhile, the Pacers are +2800 to win the Finals compared to the Minnesota Timberwolves at +270 and Dallas Mavericks carrying +500 odds.

According to numberFire's predictions, the Celtics have a 94.35% chance of defeating Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals. That certainly puts things into perspective; the Pacers have a monumental challenge ahead, and it starts tonight with Game 1.

What do FanDuel's NBA odds look like for Game 1? Let's break down the matchup and circle the best bets of the night.

All NBA odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NBA Playoffs Betting

Pacers-Celtics Betting Odds

Date and Time: Tuesday, May 21st at 8:00 p.m. ET

Spread: Celtics -10.5 (-108)

Total: 221.5

Moneyline:

• Pacers: +385
• Celtics: -500

Pacers vs. Celtics Advanced Stats Breakdown

nERD via numberFire. Adjusted offensive/defensive ratings and pace via DunksAndThrees.

• Pacers:
  • nERD: 56.3 (14th)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 120.1 (2nd)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 117.9 (24th)
  • Pace: 102.1 (2nd)
  • Against-the-Spread Record: 44-35-3
• Celtics:
  • nERD: 80.8 (1st)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 122.0 (1st)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 111.2 (2nd)
  • Pace: 97.7 (19th)
  • Against-the-Spread Record: 41-36-5

Pacers vs. Celtics Best Bet

Pacers +10.5 (-112)
Pacers Team Total Over 105.5 (-106)

While the 10.5-point spread suggests this one could get ugly, this could be one of Indiana's best chances of keeping it competitive. Boston could return one of their top scorers -- Kristaps Porzingis -- from injury in this series. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on May 17th that Porzingis will miss the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF), but there is hope for a return during the series.

Porzingis had the third-highest scoring total on the team during the regular season at 20.1 points per game (PPG). The 7-foot-2 big man played in only 4 games in the first round of the playoffs -- 1 of which he sustained his calf strain and played for only 14 minutes. Despite Porzingis' absence, the Celtics still have the second-highest offensive rating in the playoffs. This offense will only get more difficult to guard when Porzingis is back, and this spells trouble for the Pacers, who has seen their regular-season 117.9 defensive rating increase to 118.1 in the playoffs.

As most expected, Porzingis was ruled out for Game 1 of the ECF. While attempting to pull off this upset in Boston is a massive task, this could still be the Pacers' best chance of pushing for a win with the return of Porzingis looming.

I like Indiana's chances of covering the spread on the road. The Pacers actually fared pretty well against the Celtics during the regular season, going 3-2 against the spread (ATS) while holding a 2-3 outright record. The first meeting of the season on November 1st was a disaster with Boston winning 155-104. But since, the Pacers are 3-1 ATS in head-to-head clashes, have pulled off two upset wins, and lost by only five in the most recent meeting on January 30th.

Indiana made a major addition in January, trading for Pascal Siakam. He participated in only one of these matchups. Siakam currently leads the team in scoring and rebounding during the postseason with 21.1 PPG and 7.5 rebounds per game (RPG). Plus, he even has the second-lowest defensive rating among the starting lineup in the playoffs (115.5). The Pacers are clearly a different team with Siakam on the court.

The Celtics have won home games by an average margin of 23.5 points. However, Boston is 0-2 ATS in their last two games in TD Garden. Don't forget both of the Celtics' playoff losses came on their home court, as well. The Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 2 of the semifinals by 24 points as 13-point underdogs, and the Miami Heat found similar success in Game 2 of the first round by winning 111-101 as 14-point 'dogs.

I am not saying that the Pacers are going to win tonight by double-digit points, nor am I stating Indiana will win at all. A cover ATS seems in reach, though.

Indiana's offense had success against Boston this season, averaging 116.8 PPG and 128.5 PPG over the last two meetings. This offense is as dangerous as ever with the Pacers holding the highest offense rating in the playoffs.

During the regular season, defending the three was one of the Celtics' few weaknesses as they gave up 36.6 shots per game (eighth-most). This has carried over to the postseason as Boston is surrendering 35.5 three-point attempts each contest, which is the third-most among all playoff teams and the most among active squads in the conference finals.

In the playoffs, Indiana is attempting the fourth-most threes and third-most among active teams. They are also touting the best three-point percentage in the postseason at 38.1%. We saw the Pacers light the New York Knicks from three, converting 42.5% of their attempts over the seven-game series. The Knicks had a far better perimeter defense than Boston during the regular season, allowing the 10th-fewest three-point attempts per contest. It didn't matter as Indiana still torched the nets from beyond the arc.

The Pacers also had the highest field goal percentage (FG%) for any playoff game in NBA history in their last game at 67.1%, which surpassed the record set by the Celtics at 67.0% in 1990. This offense clearly has the firepower and has continued to flourish in the playoffs. I believe this unit can keep Indiana in the game, leading to a cover ATS.

Along with taking the Pacers side, I'm loving the over. The total is set at 221.5 as defense always tightens in the playoffs. However, these squads have the highest offensive ratings in the postseason, and over five matchups between these teams in the regular season, the totals closed at about 245 in each game.

numberFire's daily game projections are also suggesting the over, giving the pick a 71.19% chance of hitting. The odds of -110 has only a 52.4% implied probability.

As previously mentioned, the Pacers' three-point attack could lead to success in Game 1. Indiana's team total is set at only 105.5 and the over is -106 -- a more enticing line than -110 for over 221.5. Instead of taking the over for the combined total, I'm taking the Pacers to eclipse 105.5 points. Either over bet should lead to success, but the team total presents a more intriguing line.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.