The Cleveland Cavaliers (32-21) host the Indiana Pacers (19-35) Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Pacers vs. Cavaliers odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Indiana has lost three of its past four, including back-to-back home games versus the Orlando Magic (119-118 Wednesday) and Chicago Bulls (122-115 Friday). Over the past two weeks, the Pacers are 2-5 straight up (SU) and 2-4-1 against the spread (ATS).
Cleveland has alternated between winning and losing over the past five games with the most recent being a 102-101 victory versus the Hornets in Charlotte. The Cavs are 4-2 SU but just 2-4 ATS in the last 14 days.
The Cavs defeated the Pacers 108-104 in Cleveland, Jan. 2, and pushed as 4-point home favorites with the Over cashing on a 207.5-point total.
Pacers at Cavaliers odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Pacers +180 (bet $100 to win $180) | Cavaliers -230 (bet $230 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Pacers +5.5 (-112) | Cavaliers -5.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 216.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Pacers at Cavaliers key injuries
Pacers
- PG Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles’) questionable
- PG Domantas Sabonis (health and safety protocols) questionable
- C Myles Turner (foot) out
- C Goga Bitadze (foot) questionable
Cavaliers
- PG Darius Garland (back) questionable
- PF Lauri Markkanen (ankle) out
Deposit $10 or more, get $100 in instant bet credits at Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Place your legal, online sports bets at Tipico. Let’s make this interesting. Bet now!
Pacers at Cavaliers odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Cavaliers 108, Pacers 101
Money line
PASS.
I only “lean” to Cleveland laying points and cannot justify betting the Cavaliers (-230) given the uncertainty surrounding both teams’ injury reports.
Against the spread
“LEAN” to the CAVALIERS -5.5 (-108) because the Pacers +5.5 (-112) struggle against quality defenses, and Cleveland is third in defensive rating.
For instance, Indiana has a minus-7.7 adjusted net rating versus top-10 defenses (ranked 23rd) and a minus-4.1 ATS margin (ranked 23rd), according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
Furthermore, the Cavs are 15-9-1 ATS at home with an NBA-best plus-5.1 ATS margin while the Pacers are 11-13-2 ATS on the road and 3-7 ATS versus Central Division co-tenants.
Lastly, both teams attempt a lot of shots at the rim and attack the paint. But, Cleveland has a better offensive and defensive field goal percentage at the rim (per CTG), and Indiana is 26th in paint points per game allowed.
It’s only a “LEAN” to the CAVALIERS -5.5 (-108) because Cleveland is 0-6 ATS in the last six games as a favorite.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the UNDER 216.5 (-112) for several reasons.
First of all, the Cavs are 7-17-1 O/U at home with a minus-4.1 total margin and the Pacers are 6-12 O/U as a road underdog with a minus-3.8 total margin.
Second, roughly two-thirds of the public is betting the Over (according to Pregame.com), and my instinct is to fade a one-sided betting market.
Also, each team could be without significant offensive pieces, and even if said players return, it might take them a few quarters or games to knock off rust.
That said, Indiana hasn’t been able to defend anyone recently, which is the major reason the Pacers are 6-0-1 O/U in their last seven games.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and, soon, IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional NBA sports coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | LeBron Wire | Lonzo Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]