The Cleveland Cavaliers (32-12) and their fourth-ranked offense travel to Indiana (23-22) to take on the Pacers and their fourth-ranked defense. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 1 and can be seen on FxO, FxI and NBA.
The Pacers are expecting a better outcome after their 91-89 loss to the Clippers in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Paul George earned his 10th double-double this season with 31 points and 11 rebounds. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are coming off a 115-93 win against the Suns in their last game. LeBron James led the game in scoring by registering 21 points on 7-for-8 shooting.
Over the last five games, Myles Turner has taken his game to another level for the Pacers, averaging 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 2.8 blocks.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Indiana ranks fourth in the league, allowing just 100.0 points per 100 possessions, while Cleveland is fifth (100.8). Also, the Cavaliers’s fourth-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 106.6) will face off against the fourth-ranked defense of the Pacers (defensive efficiency of 100.0).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first matchup 101-97. George had a double-double in the loss with 32 points and 11 rebounds.
The Cavaliers take on the Pacers as a four-point favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 210 points. The Pacers have gone 25-22 Straight Up (SU) and 24-23 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. Indiana is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 20.3 points per game.
As for their opponent, the Cavaliers have a record of 21-23-2 ATS and 34-12 SU. Against fellow division members, Cleveland has a 3-4 SU and ATS record. The Cavaliers allow very few three-pointers on defense with 7.0 given up per game.
Cleveland beat Indiana in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Indiana in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Pacers hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle, ATS Winner – Cle, O/U – Over
Notes
Indiana is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games.
Indiana is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games.
Indiana is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games at home.
Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland.
Indiana is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing Cleveland.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 9 games when playing Cleveland.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 8 games when playing at home against Cleveland.
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland’s last 8 games when playing on the road against Indiana.
The Cavaliers currently sit below 0.500 against the Central Division at 2-4 SU, and the Pacers have a 4-5 SU record.
On average, Cleveland scores 102.2 points per game (ranked 11th), while Indiana gives up 99.9 points per game (ranked seventh).
Cleveland averages 99.3 points per away game (ranked 14th). However, Indiana has allowed an average of just 97.3 points per home game (ranked fifth).
When giving up under 100 points, Indiana has a dazzling record of 20-4 this season. Cleveland has an even record of 10-10 when it puts up fewer than 100 points.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Pacers are just 3-18 this season. Cleveland is an exceptional 22-2 when it hits the century mark.
The Pacers have an offensive rating of 102.2 (ranked 22nd). The Cavaliers rank fifth for their defensive rating of 100.8.
The Indiana Pacers average 100.1 possessions per game and 1.022 points per possession, while the Cleveland Cavaliers earn fewer possessions (95.2) but more points per possession (1.066).
Cleveland has an average effective field goal percentage of 51.3% (ranked sixth in the league}. Indiana is an underachieving 2-11 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Cleveland Cavaliers make 22.4 assists per game and the Indiana Pacers make 20.2. Cleveland is ranked 10th, while Indiana is ranked 25th.
Indiana makes an average of 4.4 blocks per game (ranked 20th), while Cleveland makes 3.7 blocks per game (ranked 28th).
Indiana is ranked 18th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Cleveland ranks 10th in defensive rebounds.
The Indiana Pacers rank fourth in steals, with an average of 9.4 per game. When the Cleveland Cavaliers allow at least 9 steals, they have a winning 8-3 record.
