Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

The second round of the NBA playoffs gets underway on Sunday night, as the Indiana Pacers head to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Cavs breezed through to the conference semis, sweeping the Miami Heat in one of the most dominant series wins ever. The Pacers are set to be a bigger threat, but can they hold up against the Cavs defensively? 

Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 betting picks and predictions

Over 229.5 Points (-110)

The Pacers’ last series was a complete mismatch, as the Milwaukee Bucks lacked the scoring threat to keep pace with Indiana. The Bucks gradually changed their lineup to give them more offensive options, but that ultimately cost them defensively.

The Pacers are in a very different position heading into Round Two, as they are up against the team with the best offensive record in the regular season. The Cavs will pose plenty of matchup headaches for the Pacers, which we’ll focus on later with our player props.

Indiana did improve defensively down the stretch, but that only lifted them to 13th in Defensive Rating across the regular season. Their best strategy here is attempting to keep up with the Cavs offensively, which could include moving to some smaller lineups which pack in more shooting.

The Pacers play a fantastic brand of basketball, while they have offensive weapons that can really trouble the Cavs. That should make this a high-scoring series, especially as Cleveland scored at least 120 points in each of their first-round games. With the visitors getting eight points on the spread, it’s the over that appeals, given the offensive firepower on both sides. 

Cleveland to win the series 4-1 (+230)

Both of these sides won’t compromise on their offensive styles, which should see a stronger Cavs side progress. While there’s a lot to like about this Pacers side, there are too many defensive issues and switching concerns to see anything but the Cavs coming out on top.

While Indiana’s offensive strength should keep them in most games, the Cavs have enough at both ends of the court to steal a game in Indiana and wrap it up at home in Game 5. 

Jarrett Allen over 23.5 combined points and rebounds (-110)

Jarrett Allen averaged 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in the last round despite featuring for less than 30 minutes on average against a poor Miami Heat side. With a more competitive series in prospect, expect his minutes to increase.

This does look like a good matchup for Allen, as the Pacers only have Myles Turner to guard him in the paint. Indiana is also a really poor side in terms of offensive rebounds; they ranked 29th in offensive rebound percentage in the regular season. That was an area of weakness against the Bucks, so the size of the Cavs should also be an issue.

Allen should clean up on the glass while continuing his efficient scoring, so back him to clear 23.5 in this combined line. 

Max Strus to get 10+ points (-125)

Giannis Antetokounmpo had little help in the last round, but Gary Trent Jr. emerged as a real threat to Indiana late in the series. The Pacers tried to stash Tyrese Haliburton on him defensively, which resulted in him scoring 37 points in Game 3 and 33 in Game 5.

Strus is the Cavs’ fifth offensive option, so he should be Haliburton’s assignment. The Cavs got some big displays from Strus in the last round, as he scored 14 in Game 2 and 18 in Game 3. He shot 46 per cent from three in that series, so back him to make the most of this mismatch where possible. 

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Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 odds

Indiana Pacers	+290
Cleveland Cavaliers	-370
Spread	CLE Cavaliers -8.0
Total Points	O/U 229.5

Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 player props

Player Points

Donovan Mitchell (CLE Cavaliers)	O/U 26.5
Pascal Siakam (IND Pacers)	O/U 19.5
Darius Garland (CLE Cavaliers)	O/U 18.5
Evan Mobley (CLE Cavaliers)	O/U 17.5
Tyrese Haliburton (IND Pacers)	O/U 17.5
Myles Turner (IND Pacers)	O/U 14.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.