Cavaliers vs. Pacers: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Cavaliers vs. Pacers Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | -4.5 |
| Pacers Odds | +4.5 |
| Over/Under | 223.5 |
| Date | Thu, Dec. 29 |
| Time | 7:00 p.m. |
| TV | BSOH |
On Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers will travel to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for an intra-division matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Entering play, Cleveland owns the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 22-13, with Indiana four games behind in the eighth spot. Tonight, oddsmakers are expecting a tightly-contested affair, pricing Cleveland as 4.5-point road favorites on the spread.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Expect Donovan Mitchell to bounce back
Uncharacteristically, Donovan Mitchell has scored 15 points or fewer in back-to-back contests, both of which have been losses for the Cavaliers. Though Cleveland is replete with talent, they tend to have a much better opportunity to win games when their newly-acquired star performs at a high-level. In Mitchell’s 31 games played this season, he is averaging 30.8 points per game on 51.2% shooting in 20 wins, but only 24.2 points per game on 45.4% shooting in 11 eleven losses. Mitchell has not scored fewer than 25 points in three consecutive games all season, making tonight a prime bounce-back spot for him against an Indiana defense that ranks 6th in pace, 18th in defensive efficiency, and 19th in defensive efficiency against opposing backcourts this year.
Control the glass
Following consecutive losses, the Cavaliers will need to make a concerted effort to rebound the basketball effectively if they want to remedy their road woes. In 15 games away from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse this season, Cleveland is 6-9, but they own the second-best Net Rating in away games of any team in basketball. Having earned a reputation as one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, Cleveland was out-rebounded 45-35 against the Toronto Raptors and 38-33 against the Brooklyn Nets in their two most recent losses. Playing an Indiana team that ranks 27th in rebound percentage through their first 35 games, Cleveland has a good opportunity to get back in the win column if they can control the boards.
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton listed as questionable
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Pacers rank in the 64th percentile in offensive efficiency when Tyrese Haliburton is on the floor, but regress to the 13th percentile when Haliburton is off of the floor. As of this writing, Haliburton is uncertain to suit-up this evening, due to a right knee bruise. If Haliburton is unable to play, expect the Pacers to slow down the pace, making an effort to minimize the talent disparity between these two rosters. During the month of December, Haliburton leads the team, averaging 22.6 points and 8.6 assists per game.
Knock-down open shots
In their last 14 games, the Pacers have attempted the 5th-most three-pointers of any team in the league, and have converted those opportunities at the 7th-best rate in basketball. If Haliburton plays, Indiana will have a healthy number of looks from beyond-the-arc against a Cleveland defense that ranks near the middle of the pack in opponent three-point attempts per game this month. Buddy Hield leads the Pacers in both three-point attempts per game (9.0) and three-point percentage this season (41.9%), and could be the primary beneficiary of Cleveland’s mediocre perimeter defense.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers – Picks & Predictions
Bettors are advised to wait until the status of Tyrese Haliburton is confirmed before making any wagers on this contest, but the under is a smart lean if anticipating him to be on the sidelines. When Haliburton is off of the court this year, Indiana’s offensive efficiency plummets, but their defensive efficiency improves dramatically. If betting early in the afternoon, take the under.
PICK: Under 223.5 (-110, MGM)
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