The Cleveland Cavaliers go head-to-head against the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena to open the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The game can be seen on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 15, 2018.
Cleveland is a 6.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 212.5 points.
Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers ATS Prediction
The Pacers have won three out of four against the Cavaliers this season, but fell short the last time these two teams met, 115-108. Indiana covered as a 6-point underdog and the game finished with a total of 223 points, hitting the projected point total. The Cavaliers knocked down 10 of their 13 free throws (76.9 percent) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (21.6 vs. 18.2). LeBron James played a huge role in the victory, recording a triple-double with 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Cleveland should have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Cavaliers rank third in effective field goal percentage (0.547), while Indiana ranks 19th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.527). Furthermore, the Pacers, who rank 25th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.173), will battle against the Cavaliers, who rank second in opponents’ FTA rate (0.166).
Indiana heads into the game with records of 48-34 straight up (SU) and 47-35 against the spread (ATS). Games including the Pacers have typically finished under the projected point total (58.5 percent).
Cleveland has a solid 50-32 SU record, but they are just 32-49-1 ATS. In opposition of Indiana, Cavaliers games have a slight tendency to finish over the total (50.0 percent).
Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers Pick
Free Pick: SU Winner – Pacers, ATS Winner – Pacers, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Indiana is 23-18 ATS with 24 unders, 16 overs and 1 push.
Cleveland is 13-27-1 ATS at home with 21 unders, 19 overs and 1 push.
When holding opponents under 100 points, Indiana is 26-4 and Cleveland is 16-3.
The Cavaliers are 48-18 when they score above 100 points, while the Pacers are 39-16.
Cleveland ranks third in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while Indiana ranks 25th (5.2).
The Cavaliers rank fifth in three pointers attempted per game (32.1) while the Pacers rank 26th (24.5).
Indiana ranks third in steals per game (8.8) while Cleveland ranks 23rd (7.1).
The Pacers rank second in points off turnovers per game (18.3) while the Cavaliers rank 17th (16.3).
Indiana ranks 12th in assists allowed per game (23.2) while Cleveland ranks 27th (25.9).
The Pacers rank fifth in fast break points per game (14.8) while the Cavaliers rank 13th (12.5).
Indiana ranks 13th in points in the paint per game (44.7) while Cleveland ranks 20th in points allowed in the paint per game (47.0).
The Pacers rank 19th in second chance points per game (11.9) while the Cavaliers rank 25th (11.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Indiana is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Cleveland is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Pacers have been outscored by an average of 4.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Indiana has defeated opponents by an average of 1.4 points.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 116.4 points per game (5.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 114.4 points per game (4.5 above their season average).
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