Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Following many outstanding defensive years the Cleveland Cavaliers now demonstrate one of the top offensive performances across the NBA.

The Cleveland team’s offense has increased mainly because they now possess deeper bench rotation. Bench scoring stood at position 28 for the Cavs in 2022-23 before coming in at 14 in 2022-23 and ending the season at place 7. The Cleveland bench takes the lead in delivering exceptional performance? Ty Jerome proved his comeback after a long recovery from his right ankle injury which affected his entire first season with the Cavaliers.

During this season Jerome averages his highest points total yet at 12.4 points from playing only 19.8 minutes per game. Jerome makes 1.6 three-pointers per game at a field goal rating of 51.5% and both free throw accuracy of 87% and three-point accuracy of 43.3%.

How efficient has he been? Cleaning the Glass shows that Jerome stands at position 97 in points scored per shot attempt among all NBA players. During his 36 minutes on the court Jerome has accumulated 22.5 points while making 2.8 three-pointers. The current season marks a new record-high in field-goal percentage along with 3-point percentage for Jerome.

During this current season Jerome plays about 19.7 minutes per game but generates high impact when the coach gives him more time on the court. The four games where he spent at least 30 minutes on the court resulted in 25.5 points on average per game combined with multiple scoring runs over 20 points in every one.

Garland and Mitchell together with Mobley represent the top three scoring players for Cleveland but all three will sit out due to injuries. When Garland sat out of five games Jerome played, he reached 21.8 points per game and achieved a 20-point mark in four games.

Since the All-Star break, Tyrese Haliburton has been on fire, putting up over 20 points and 11 assists per game across 20 contests. He’s recorded double-digit assists in 16 of those games, notching 15 double-doubles along the way. I anticipate another standout performance tonight against a short-handed Cavaliers team.

The Pacers need this victory, and with Cleveland missing key starters, Indiana should have no trouble securing a home win. At -450 on the moneyline, I’m comfortable including them in this parlay rather than betting them straight. While the Cavs have solid depth this season—and if Jerome has a big game, they might keep it competitive—I’m avoiding the spread and sticking with the safer moneyline play.