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We're set to bring you another prediction and pick for today's slate of NBA action as we head to the Eastern Conference for this Central Division matchup. The Indiana Pacers (1-0) will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1) for an exciting tilt. Check out our NBA odds series for our Pacers-Cavaliers prediction and pick.
The Indiana Pacers won their season opener and managed to put up 143 points on the Washington Wizards. It was Bruce Brown who led the way for them with 24 points as they saw a complete team effort from their starters and bench players alike. At this rate, the Pacers will become a very hard team to stop if their offense is clicking and the should make some noise in their division.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 1-1 after beating the Brooklyn Nets and dropping their game last night to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The fought a hard game last time out and managed to keep the deficit small throughout the fourth quarter, but their defense eventually folded as they couldn't hold off the Thunder. Expect them to be looking for a bounce-back performance in this one.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Cavaliers Odds
Indiana Pacers: +3 (-110)
Cleveland Cavaliers: -3 (-110)
Over: 224 (-110)
Under: 224 (-110)
How to Watch Pacers vs. Cavaliers
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports Ohio
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
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Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
The Indiana Pacers had a very impressive opening game to start their season as they tallied a league-high scoring total. Their entire starting lineup got involved in moe ways than just scoring and it's great to see their chemistry translate into fluid basketball. Former Knick Obi Toppin is fitting in very nicely and looks to be a great spark for them on the defensive side of the ball. This could be the year we see Tyrese Haliburton take another huge step forward in his development and become a crucial part of their success. He tallied 11 assists in their opening game and it's clear they play their best basketball when he's distributing the rock.
The Pacers shouldn't expect Bruce Brown to go 6-8 from three in each one of their games, but his game-high performance was an extremely promising sign as he looks to make an impact with his new team. The Pacers have a number of sneaky-good scorers and Bennedict Mathurin looks to be settling into a similar role right alongside them. Look out for the Pacers this year if they can keep this type of chemistry going throughout the season.
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
The Cavs are ready for another exciting season with Donovan Mitchell at the helm and he's been performing great thus far. Perhaps even better has been the addition of Max Strus to their lineup. In his first game with the Cavs, he shot 7-13 from three and matched Mitchell's team-high 27 points. He offers a great role to them as Mitchell will have a pure shooter to kick out to when driving the basketball. Strus is also great off the ball and will spread defenses apart, opening opportunities in the paint for their bigs. Evan Mobley is gearing up for another solid year and he'll be looking to make more of an impact with his offense.
The Cavs didn't see the same type of success in their following game as they shot just 26.7% beyond the arc. They were shocked by the athleticism of the young Thunder squad and Donovan Mitchell's 43 points wasn't enough to lift them to a win. He'll need other teammates to step up in these types of situations, otherwise they will have a hard time mounting comebacks against solid defensive teams. Except Mitchell to try and get him teammates involved in this one.
Final Pacers-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick
This should be a tight game between two teams that may end up contending for the Central Division in the East. With just one game under their belt, the Pacers have performed extremely well and there's no reason they shouldn't take care of this Cavaliers team if they can see a similar scoring output to their first game.
Cleveland is certainly the more experienced team here and while they may lose some close games, Donovan Mitchell's will to win will always keep them competitive in games. However, we've seen a few inconsistencies with the rest of the team and we'd rather ride the hot hand here. For our prediction, let's take the points with the Indiana Pacers as they cover in the underdog spot.
Final Pacers-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick: Indiana Pacers +3 (-110)
