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In a midwest clash between two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum, the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Hoosier state to face off with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday evening. The Cavs have looked the part of a top-five caliber team in the Eastern Conference, while the Pacers are already looking forward to the 2022-2023 season and even played the part of sellers during the trade deadline. Cleveland is coming off a gritty win against a feisty Raptors squad, and Indiana is fresh off back-to-back losses, including giving up 133 points in a ten-point loss to the Wizards. It’s time to take a dive into our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Pacers prediction and pick.
A year ago, Cleveland finished the 2020-2021 season fourth in the Central division, a far cry from the success they are experiencing nearly 365 days later. To put things in perspective, Cleveland managed a measly 22 wins a season ago, a win total that was quickly surpassed on January 10th in a grind-it-out game against Sacramento. In their most recent win, the Cavs looked the part in a 104-96 victory over the Raptors, a team that has been neck and neck with Cleveland for a majority of the season. Cleveland is playing some of its best basketball since the glory days of LeBron, and it's been even longer than that since the Cavaliers achieved any type of success outside of King James on the basketball court.
With all of the optimism and buzz surrounding the sneaky dangerous Cavs within The Forest City, the same could not be said for the Pacers, who have stumbled to a 22-44 record and are in full rebuild mode. With only 316 miles separating the two metropolitan cities, the historically successful Indiana Pacers are now witnessing what losing feels like, something that is all too familiar for Cleveland residents galore. Losers of 14 of the last 27 games they’ve played, Indiana is hoping to catch Cleveland off guard and possibly treat the fans of Gainbridge Fieldhouse to a rare and satisfying win.
Here are the Cavaliers-Pacers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Pacers Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: -3 (-110)
Indiana Pacers: +3 (-110)
Over: 223 (-110)
Under: 223 (-110)
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Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
The Cavs have suffered an insurmountable amount of injuries throughout the 2021-2022 season, but even more importantly, young and upcoming players have successfully managed to put Cleveland back on the map. Stepping in for Collin Sexton and recently injured big Jarrett Allen has been the tremendous play of third-year guard Darius Garland, who is averaging 20.6 PPG and ranks sixth in the league in 8.1 APG.
Another reason why the Cavaliers could cover the spread? Look no further than rookie Evan Mobley, who has been everything Cleveland could’ve hoped and dreamed about during his first-ever NBA campaign. Mobley dropped 20 points and grabbed a whopping 17 boards vs Toronto, helping them come out victorious in a pivotal win in front of the hometown crowd. Additionally, the Cavs garner one of the top defensive units in the association, as their swarming and suffocating defense has limited teams to just a shade under 102 points a game.
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
Even with their endless struggles and obvious rebuilding to be made, the Pacers are still capable of upsetting the better teams in the league, especially at home. Indiana parted ways with star big man Domantas Sabonis in exchange for sharpshooter Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, so the offensive execution and ability to put up the points is still there. Keep in mind that the Pacers have been horrendous as a road team, with 15 of the 22 wins recorded by the Pacers this season coming from home, demonstrating their willingness to occasionally upset opponents from the state of Indiana. The Cavs are also quite pedestrian as road favorites thus far, sitting at a 4-5-1 record ATS. Meanwhile, Indiana has also been average against the spread, going 25-28-1 in such matchups.
Final Cavaliers-Pacers Prediction & Pick
Even as the home team, the fact of the matter is that the Pacers lack the firepower on both sides of the court to compete consistently enough against some of the league’s best. Although they are capable of surprising folks from time to time, Indiana should not be trusted. Not to mention, the Cavs are coming off a dominating win against the Raptors and should be riding their momentum at full steam heading into this showdown in Indianapolis. Expect a defensive stalwart in this one.
Final Cavaliers-Pacers Pick: Cavaliers -3 (-110)
