The Indiana Pacers are set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a Central Division game on Thursday night. For the Pacers, this game is crucial as they aim to secure the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, with a slight chance to climb to the third spot. Recently, Cleveland demonstrated strong performance with a 135-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls, while Indiana comes into this game after a 104-98 win against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The Cavaliers boast an impressive record of 63-16, including a 12-2 divisional record, and have won 7 of their last 10 games. The Pacers, with a 48-31 overall record and 8-6 against Central Division teams, are particularly strong at home, holding a 28-10 home record.
The game will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The betting odds favor the Pacers by 9 points, and the over/under for the total points in the game is set at 232.5.
Pacers Strengths
Pascal Siakam has been a key player for Indiana, consistently delivering strong performances. In their recent game, he scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton is another crucial player for the Pacers, known for both scoring and playmaking. In their win against Washington, he contributed 22 points and 6 assists.
Cavaliers Challenges
The Cavaliers will be playing without several important players including Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. This means Cleveland will need to rely more on players like De`Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome, who both played well in their recent game against the Bulls.
Historically, Cleveland has performed well against Indiana, winning 10 of their last 14 encounters. They have also been successful against the spread in recent road games against the Pacers.
Game Prediction
Statistical models predict a high-scoring game between the Cavaliers and Pacers, with an expected total of 237 points. The models also suggest that there is a strong probability for a specific side to cover the spread in this matchup.
Jasper Hawthorne