Pacers vs Cavaliers Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Sunday, April 2nd

Check out our free Pacers vs Cavaliers pick and preview for this NBA game in Cleveland. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Pacers vs Cavaliers NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers
Where: Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Date: Sunday, April 2nd
Betting Odds CLE -12.5, IND +553 | CLE -804 O/U 229.5

The Pacers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 34-44. So far, the team has gone 40-36-2 against the spread. Over the team’s past 3 games, Indiana has an overall record of 1-2, including going 1-1-1 against the spread.

The Pacers are coming off a 121-117 win over the Thunder. This away win came despite entering the game as the 5 point underdogs. This was a highly contested matchup, as Indiana was not able to extend their lead in the second half as they went into halftime with a 4 point lead. In the win, T.J. McConnell led the team in scoring with 21 points on a field goal percentage of 66.7%.

The Cavaliers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 48-30. So far, the team has gone 43-34-1 against the spread. Today, the Cavaliers will be looking to snap a 2 game losing streak. The team has lost these games by an average of -8.0 points per contest.

In their previous game, the Cavaliers were favored to win vs the Knicks. However, their 130-116 loss gave them both a straight up and ATS defeat. Cleveland was not able to make a comeback in this matchup, as they went into the half down by 7. In the loss, Donovan Mitchell led the team in scoring with 42 points on a field goal percentage of 69.6%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent game between the two teams, the Cavaliers picked up a 118-112 win over the Pacers. However, heading into the game, Cleveland was favored to win by 8.0 points, giving the Pacers and ATS victory. So far this season, the Cavaliers have a record of 2-1 vs the Pacers. Similar to their season-long average, the Pacers averaged 106.5 points per game vs the Cavaliers. On the other side, Cleveland saw an improvement in their scoring numbers when playing the Pacers, as they averaged 113.25 points per game in these matchups. The ATS record across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings is 3-2 in favor of the Cavaliers. In these matchups, Cleveland has averaged 122 points per game, while allowing 117. A combined average of 239 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Pacers come into today’s game as one of the better scoring teams in the NBA at 116.0 points per game (11th). So far, Indiana is averaging 100.5 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. If the Pacers offense is going to continue to produce at their current level, they would benefit from an improvement in their outside shooting. Currently, they are the 15th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

On defense, the Pacers will look for some improved play, as they are currently the 26th ranked unit in points allowed per game.

On offense, Buddy Hield leads the Pacers in scoring at 16.9 points per game, placing him 76th in the NBA. Overall, Hield has hit 45.4% of his shots while accounting for 14.7% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 2nd in points allowed to small-forwards. At 16.5 points per game, Bennedict Mathurin is the 2nd leading scorer for the Pacers. For the season, he is 206th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 43.6%.

Through 78 games, the Cavaliers are averaging 112.3 points per contest, placing them 24th in the NBA. Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.5 made 3’s per game. If the Cleveland offense is going to improve, they must continue to do a good job avoiding turnovers. Currently, the unit is 5th in fewest turnovers per game.

On the defensive end of the floor, the Cavaliers are giving up an average of 105.67 points per game, good for 5th in the NBA.

Shooting Guard Donovan Mitchell currently leads the Cavaliers at 27.9 points per game. For the season, he is 13th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 24.1% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Mitchell is averaging 4.2 boards and 4.5 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 25th ranked defense at defending shooting guards. Darius Garland enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 67 games, he is averaging 21.7 and is 72nd in the league in player efficiency rating.