Cavaliers vs. Pacers: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Cavaliers vs. Pacers Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | -5 |
| Pacers Odds | +5 |
| Over/Under | 226 |
| Date | Sun, Feb. 5 |
| Time | 5:00 p.m. |
| TV | BSOH |
On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Entering play, Cleveland (32-22) owns the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Indiana (25-29) is tied for the final play-in position in the standings. In this matchup, oddsmakers are expecting the Cavaliers to come away with a win, pricing Cleveland as 5-point road favorites on the spread.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Caris LeVert listed as questionable
According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Caris LeVert is questionable for tonight’s game against the Pacers. LeVert did not play in Cleveland’s victory on Thursday against Memphis, making his questionable designation a true toss-up.
Per CourtIQ, Ricky Rubio (+3.3%) sees the largest increase in usage of any player on the Cavaliers roster when LeVert is off of the floor. Against the Grizzlies, Rubio scored 13 points and had four assists in 21 minutes of action. Expect him to see an expanded role in the offense once again if LeVert does not suit up.
Road woes
In 26 road games this season, Cleveland is 10-16 overall. A continued pain point for the Cavaliers this year has been their defense on the perimeter. Their inability to slow down opposing guards from beyond-the-arc is at its worst on the road, where they rank 28th out of 30 teams in opponent three-point percentage this year.
In two games against the Pacers during the month of December, the Cavaliers struggled mightily to make life difficult for Buddy Hield, who is Indiana’s top weapon from distance. In those two contests, Hield was a combined 9-for-12 on three-point attempts.
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Indiana Pacers
Haliburton back on the floor
Following nearly a month of sitting on the sidelines due to injury, Tyrese Haliburton returned to the floor on February 2 against the Lakers, scoring 26 points and dishing out 12 assists. His return is a huge boon for Indiana’s playoff hopes.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Pacers rank in the 63rd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 43rd percentile in defensive efficiency this season when Haliburton is on the floor, compared to the 13th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 27th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Home cooking
In their last 22 home games with Haliburton in the lineup, the Pacers are 16-6 overall. Prior to Haliburton’s injury in mid-January, Indiana had won 15 of 20 contests in their home gym, and had outscored their opponents by 4.6 points per 100 possessions. In that span, they posted the league’s third-best assist percentage, moving the ball better than nearly every other team in the NBA.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers – Picks & Predictions
This is a matchup featuring a Cleveland team that is consistently overvalued when playing on the road, and an Indiana team that is consistently undervalued when playing at home – especially when Tyrese Haliburton is in the lineup. In the Pacers’ last 22 home games with Haliburton in uniform, they are 16-6. The Cavaliers are well below .500 on the road this year, and remain extremely vulnerable on the perimeter – a weakness that Indiana exploited in their most recent battle. The Pacers are a live underdog in this spot.
PICK: Pacers ML (+170, MGM)