Squaring off for the first time this season, the Indiana Pacers will take on the dangerous Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Pacers-Cavaliers prediction and pick will be made.

After breaking a two-game skid with a gutsy 125-119 victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors, the Pacers enter this contest one game above .500 with a 15-14 record including possessing a 6-8 mark overall out on the road.

For the Cavaliers, Cleveland has alternated wins and losses over the course of their previous six games and will be seeking back-to-back victories for the first time since Dec. 2nd. Even though the Cavs have not gone streaking, they still sit at an impressive 18-11 through 29 games and have been near unbeatable at home boasting a 12-2 mark.

Here are the Pacers-Cavaliers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Pacers-Cavaliers Odds

Indiana Pacers: +8 (-110)

Cleveland Cavaliers: -8 (-110)

Over: 222.5 (-110)

Under: 22.5 (-110)

Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread

Heading back out on the road after a four-game home stand that saw an Indiana split, there's no question that the Pacers are eager to make some noise in Cleveland with a hard-fought spread-covering win to launch themselves upwards in the Eastern Conference standings. Trailing the Cavs by three games overall in the Central Division, the time is now for the Pacers to make a bold statement.

In order to find a way to cover the spread, receiving more consistent play from one of their top standouts in guard Tyrese Haliburton would definitely do wonders. Against the Warriors, Haliburton went absolutely berserk and was a large contributor in triumph on Wednesday with 29 points on 50% shooting from deep. However, in the game prior that resulted in a low-scoring 87-82 loss to the Heat, Haliburton was ice-cold on his way to an abysmal 0-9 shooting performance that saw only one point scored by the Pacers guard. Clearly, Indiana will be desperate for Haliburton to be at his best to give them the greatest chance at a victory.

Not to mention, but Indiana is truly getting the best play out of the rookie from Arizona in Bennedict Mathurin. Coming off the bench against the Warriors, Mathurin simply couldn't miss by pouring in 24 points and going 8-14 from the floor. If Indiana can get Mathurin going offensively from the tip, then look out!

Also, make sure you keep your eyes peeled on the Pacers' ability to dish out assists and get their teammates involved throughout the night. As it stands, Indiana averages the fifth-most assists per game with 27 a contest and will need to be unselfish to stun the Cavs on their home floor.

Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread

At first glance, the Cavaliers have been playing exceptionally well especially when it comes to finding ways to suffocate the opposition with their gritty defense. In fact, the Cavaliers boast the top-rated defense in all of basketball and are only letting teams score 104 points per game. Because of this, Cleveland can afford to have an off-shooting night and still dig deep to win games.

Outside of their dominating defensive prowess that usually ends up leaving teams stunned, no squad has benefitted more from an off-season acquisition than the Cavaliers and Donovan Mitchell. Obviously, Mitchell was a perennial All-Star in his days with the Utah Jazz and was well respected, but it seems like he has transformed his overall game to an even more lethal playing style. Coming into this one, Mitchell has been the heartbeat of this Cavaliers crew with an average of 29.2 PPG and an impressive 50% from the field.

While Mitchell is the nucleus to this roster, be on the lookout for the up-and-coming star in point guard Darius Garland and his crafty passing abilities. So far, Garland is dishing out 7.8 assists per game and in order for the offense to be humming Friday night, then the former Vanderbilt standout will need to be at his best in dissecting the passing lanes.

If there is anything that Cleveland has struggled with this season, it has been their inconsistent ways to haul in rebounds. While they rank 15th overall in rebounds per game, it will prove to be a must for the Cavs to put a body on someone and box out extremely well to prevent the Pacers from gaining extra opportunities on the glass.

Final Pacers-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick

Without a doubt, there is no love between these two clubs. With the intensity expected to be at an all-time high, siding with the Cavaliers and their ability to feed off the energy of the home crowd will prove to be the biggest difference-maker in this one.

Final Pacers-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick: Cavaliers -8 (-110)