Cavaliers vs Pacers NBA Pick: Cleveland Looks To Stay Hot Against Indiana (May 4)

• The Cleveland Cavaliers breezed through the first round of the postseason, sweeping the Miami Heat in four games.
• Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers had little trouble in the opening round, dispatching the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
• These squads last played on Apr. 13, with the Pacers claiming a 126-118 double overtime victory.

One of the games on Sunday’s NBA slate features the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of a second-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Will Cleveland take the opener in our Cavaliers vs Pacers pick?

Cavaliers Coming Off Convincing Sweep Against Miami

The Cavaliers had no trouble against a Heat squad that needed two road wins to qualify for the postseason. After defeating the Heat by 37 points in Game 3, Cleveland finished the series with a resounding 138-83 victory in Game 4.

Donovan Mitchell was one of three starters who reached double figures. He scored 22 points, dolled out five assists, and shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Evan Mobley added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Jarrett Allen contributed 14 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals. The Cavaliers also got 73 points from their second unit.

The contest was over early, as the Cavaliers led 43-17 after the first 12 minutes of action and took a 72-33 lead into halftime, making the second half irrelevant.

Cleveland won the series by an average of 30.5 points per game, making it the most lopsided series in NBA playoff history.

Pacers Look To Hold Their Own Against Top-Seeded Cavs

On the other side of the matchup, the Pacers handed the Bucks another first-round playoff elimination, defeating them by a 119-118 margin in Game 5 of that series.

Tyrese Haliburton spearheaded an offense where all five starters scored in double figures. His final stat line included 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.

Myles Turner logged 21 points and nine rebounds. Aaron Nesmith chipped in with 19 points and 12 boards.

The Bucks appeared to be on their way to extending the series to a sixth game, leading 118-111 in overtime. However, the Pacers closed the game on an 8-0 run, which included a layup by Haliburton with 1.3 seconds left to play.

Cavaliers vs Pacers Pick: Which Squad Lands The First Punch In The Opener?

After cruising through the opening round, Cleveland comes into the series opener as an eight-point favorite, according to BetOnline. Here are a few betting trends for both sides heading into Game 1.

• The Cavaliers are 16-4 straight-up (SU) in their last 20 games against Eastern Conference teams.
• Cleveland is 13-6 against the spread in its previous 19 outings against Central Division opponents.
• The Pacers are 11-2 in their last 13 contests.
• Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its previous six road matchups against the Cavaliers..

Ironically, the Pacers won three of the four regular-season meetings between these franchises. But barring an epic meltdown, that will not happen in this series.

Based on our observation, the Pacers may keep it competitive enough to cover the spread, but Cleveland comes out on top.