After destroying the Miami Heat in the first round, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers will look to pick up where they left off when they take on the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup on Sunday. Cleveland set an NBA record by outscoring Miami by 122 points in the series. The Pacers (50-32), who are 21-21 on the road this season, were 29-22 against Eastern Conference opponents. The Cavaliers (64-18), who are 36-7 on their home floor in 2024-2025, were 41-11 vs. the East.
Tip-off from Rocket Arena in Cleveland is set for 6 p.m. ET. Indiana won three of four meetings during the regular season. The Cavaliers are 8-point favorites in the latest Cavaliers vs. Pacers odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 229.5. Before making any Pacers vs. Cavaliers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions from SportsLine’s Matt Severance.
Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. Over his past 240 NBA money line picks, he has gone 153-86-1 and is up $2,961. He has also excelled when picking games involving the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his last 62 picks involving the Cavaliers, he is 50-12 (+2647). Anyone following could have seen huge returns.
Now, Severance has analyzed Pacers vs. Cavaliers and just revealed his coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Cavaliers vs. Pacers:
- Pacers vs. Cavaliers spread: Cleveland -8 at DraftKings Sportsbook
- Pacers vs. Cavaliers over/under: 229.5 points
- Pacers vs. Cavaliers money line: Indiana +260, Cleveland -325
- IND: The Pacers are 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games
- CLE: The Cavaliers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games
- Pacers vs. Cavaliers picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Pacers vs. Cavaliers streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Donovan Mitchell has been one of the Cavaliers’ scoring leaders this postseason. In four starts, he is averaging 23.8 points, four assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 30.8 minutes of action. In a 121-112 win in Game 2 over the Heat, he poured in 30 points, while adding six assists and six rebounds.
Evan Mobley was one of seven Cavaliers averaging double-digit scoring in the opening round. He has also had a lot of success against the Pacers this year. In two games against Indiana, he averaged 19 points, 12.5 rebounds, one assist and one block in 31.5 minutes. In four postseason starts, he is averaging 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 30.5 minutes. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Pacers can cover
Pascal Siakam is among Indiana’s top scoring threats. In the five-game first-round series win over the Milwaukee Bucks, he averaged 19.8 points, six rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.8 minutes. In a 117-101 Game 3 loss to the Bucks on April 25, he poured in 28 points, while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. In three games against the Cavaliers during the regular season, Siakam averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, 2.7 assists and one block in 32.7 minutes.
Tyrese Haliburton registered four double-doubles in five games against Milwaukee in the opening round. In Game 4, he scored 17 points, while dishing out 15 assists and grabbing eight rebounds in a 129-103 win on April 27. He had 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three blocks and three steals in a 119-118 overtime win over the Bucks in Game 5. In five postseason games, Haliburton is averaging 17.6 points, 11.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds in 35.4 minutes. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Pacers picks
Now, Severance has locked in another confident against-the-spread pick for Pacers vs. Cavaliers. He is leaning Over on the total, but he knows a crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. You absolutely need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.
So who wins Cavaliers vs. Pacers, and what X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Pacers vs. Cavaliers spread to jump on, all from the expert that has returned over $4,400 on his NBA picks over the past three seasons, and find out.
