Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton has looked out of sorts this season, and it is one of the reasons that the Pacers were poor out of the gate this season. In the end, they have him stabilized things and are coming to this game with a record of 21-18 and are barely holding on to the sixth position in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers also sit five games over .500 and remain undefeated in January. Notably, their triumphs have been earned against some of the B-grade teams but they have triumphed over Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.

Pascal Siakam is still the uncrowned king of this team and is scoring 19.9 points, grabbing 7.3 rebounds per night and shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Haliburton on his end recovered from a slow start to his season and is now averaging 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds while making field goals at a 44.7% success rate.

Other newcomer who has contributed to the Pacers is Bennedict Mathurin; is averaging 16.6 points and shooting 46.2% from the field. Similarly Myles Turner is performing well in the NBA as he has an average of about 15 points and 7 rebounds for every game played and a shooting percentage of about 48.9 percent on the hardwood.

To have a shot at the Cavaliers, the Pacers must get more from Siakam and Turner. Essentially, they need to find how they will defeat the board battle more so they will probably be facing Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The Pacers must again feature good defense, which has seen them restrict their opponents to under 100 points in two of the recent three games.

The Pacers will beat the spread if Haliburton can only dish out some fine passes besides taking good shots. Then Siakam and Turner must be able to triumph in the board battle and keep the Cavs from getting second opportunities.

One of the main reasons the Cavaliers are maintaining their top rank in the Eastern Conference is their depth. To demonstrate why they are a team to be admired, the Cavaliers just defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder. Compared to the Cavaliers from the previous season, when their several ailments devastated the squad, this is a significant change.

Donovan Mitchell, who shoots 45% from the field and averages 22.9 points per game, is still a top player. Darius Garland, meanwhile, is shooting 50% from the field and scoring 21 points on average each game. Mobley shoots 57.4 percent from the floor and averages 19 points and 8.8 rebounds a game.

LeVert is another excellent depth player for the Cavaliers. Notably, he has been a huge asset to the Cavaliers, scoring 11.5 points a night on average and shooting 49% from the field. LeVert wants to repeat his recent 18-point performance.

When it comes to shooting and scoring, the Cavaliers are the top team. They rank 18th in rebounds, though, and struggle on the boards. Who wins the board battle will determine the outcome of this game, in my opinion. Mobley and Allen need to prevail in their minor conflicts with Siakam and Turner.

If the Cavaliers can maintain their strong shooting and establish an early lead, they will cover the spread. They then have to stop Siakam and Turner from defeating them on the boards.

The Cavaliers are 26-11 against the odds, and the Pacers are 19-19-1 against the spread. Additionally, the Cavaliers are 8-8-1 against the spread at home, while the Pacers are 11-11 against the spread on the road. The Cavaliers are 4-2 against the odds while playing the East, while the Pacers are 3-3 against the spread when playing the Central Division.

The Pacers are currently dominating and emerging at the ideal moment. They are up against a club, though, that has only dropped one home game. For a while, I see the Pacers competing. To cover the spread, though, I can see the Cavaliers winning this handily in the latter minutes of the fourth quarter.