Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Both teams choose not to roll any major risks as they evaluate a lengthy list of injuries before the playoff start. According to available reports the Cleveland Cavaliers have less of their core players sitting out compared to the Indiana Pacers so the visiting team should reach their 50th victory of this season.

Pascal Siakam together with Tyrese Haliburton will sit out but Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith could play alongside their feisty backup teammates who show their spark since the beginning of the season.

The Indiana backups maintain a reputation for challenging all opponents head-on. The Minnesota Timberwolves discovered a hard lesson recently when they lost to the Pacers in overtime with their core starters sidelined from the game. I will take Indiana to prevail by this small point margin today.

The Cavaliers' sit as top seed in the eastern conference for weeks and many coaches believe the absence of several key rotational players will impact the game as they watch from the bench today.

The Pacers have managed a 39-17 record throughout 56 games along with a 7-3 SU record in their recent 10 matches. The team has achieved victories in two of their past three games that took place at Rocket Arena.

The expanded playing time available due to injuries lets Obi Toppin along with Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker thrive while I predict the Cleveland offense will struggle to match up with the Pacers no matter which lineup the Cavaliers use.

Both teams have been hitting the Over consistently this season—Cleveland at 50-31 and Indiana at 42-36-3—and I expect that trend to hold today, even with key players sidelined.

The Pacers have put up 114+ points in seven of their last 10 games, and with Evan Mobley’s rim protection out of the picture, they should find even more success inside. On the other side, the Cavaliers—who lead the NBA in scoring (122 PPG)—are also fourth in three-point attempts, which should help push this game Over the total.

To boost the odds, I’m adding the Over on the 112 first-half line to my SGP. With playoff seeding likely set, both offenses should play freely, leading to a fast-paced, high-scoring start. Expect plenty of transition buckets and early three-point shooting.

Since star players might see reduced minutes in the second half with the postseason in mind, I’m betting that most of the scoring happens before halftime. A quick, aggressive start from both teams should set the tone.