The Indiana Pacers (1-1) clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in game three of the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The game can be seen on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 20, 2018.
Indiana opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 208.5 points.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers ATS Prediction
James scored a game-high 46 points in game two, in which the Cavaliers defeated the Pacers 100-97 but were not able to cover as 8.5-point favorites. He also recorded 12 rebounds and five assists. The game finished with a total of 197 points, which was 16 points below the projected point total of 213 points. The Cavaliers had a better free throw rate (0.205 vs. 0.115) and had a better turnover percentage (15.4 vs. 17.0).
Points at the line could be hard to find for Indiana in this meeting. The Pacers currently rank 25th in the NBA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.173, while Cleveland ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.166).
Cleveland is 51-33 straight up (SU), but they have trouble covering the spread (32-51-1 against the spread (ATS)). Games involving the Cavaliers have no tendency in regards to the total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
Meanwhile, Indiana owns records of 49-35 SU and 49-35 ATS. Of the Pacers’ 84 games, 50 have finished under the O/U total.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Pick
Free NBA Pick: SU Winner – Pacers, ATS Winner – Pacers, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Cleveland is 19-22 ATS on the road with 22 overs and 19 unders.
At home, Indiana is 24-17 ATS with 24 unders, 16 overs and 1 push.
Indiana is 27-4 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Cleveland is 17-4.
The Cavaliers are 49-18 when they reach the century mark, while the Pacers are 39-16.
Cleveland ranks third in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while Indiana ranks 25th (5.2).
The Pacers rank second in steals per game (8.8) while the Cavaliers rank 23rd (7.1).
Cleveland ranks fifth in three pointers attempted per game (32.1) while Indiana ranks 26th (24.5).
The Pacers rank second in points off turnovers per game (18.3) while the Cavaliers rank 19th (16.2).
Indiana ranks 12th in assists allowed per game (23.1) while Cleveland ranks 28th (25.8).
The Pacers rank 12th in points in the paint per game (44.8) while the Cavaliers rank 20th in points allowed in the paint per game (47.0).
Indiana ranks fifth in fast break points per game (14.8) while Cleveland ranks 13th (12.4).
The Pacers rank 19th in second chance points per game (11.9) while the Cavaliers rank 26th (11.0).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cleveland is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Indiana is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Cavaliers have been outscored by an average of 3.0 points in their last five games. On the season, Cleveland has defeated opponents by an average of 0.7 points.
During their last five games, the Pacers have scored an average of 96.8 points per game (8.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 101.6 points per game (2.2 below their season average).
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