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The Indiana Pacers travel to the Land to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in a matchup of Central Division teams who are on opposite poles of the team standings.
The Pacers are in second place at 26-13, just 1.5 games behind the division leaders Milwaukee Bucks. Meanwhile, the Cavs are in the bottom not just of the division but of the entire league at 8-32.
Six Game Win Streak Is Over
The Indiana Pacers’ six-game winning streak came to a halt in Toronto on Sunday as the Raptors defeated the Pacers 121-105. The loss was Indiana’s 11th consecutive north of the border as they have not beaten the Raptors in Toronto since March 1, 2013. Despite the loss, the Pacers have climbed the standings and at 26-13, they are now #3 in the East and just 2.5 games behind the Raptors.
Indiana remains as the top defensive team in the league in terms of scoring defense at 101.9 points per game allowed. The Pacers rank 9th in assists at 25.4 per game and are 23rd in rebounding at 43.8 per contest. Indiana also has the 23rd ranked scoring offense in the NBA at 107.7 points per game allowed.
Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers 1/8/19
Moneyline Odds: Pacers -615, Cavaliers +490
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/8/19
Winless Since December 18th
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the NBA’s worst record at 8-32. The Cavs have lost nine games in a row heading to Tuesday. But if there is something that should give them confidence heading to this contest, it’s the fact that the last team that they’ve beaten was the Indiana Pacers. The Cavs shocked the Pacers 92-91 when Larry Nance Jr. tipped in a miss shot by Rodney Hood just as the buzzer sounded.
Statistically, the Cavs are one of the worst in the league, really. They rank dead last in passing with just 19.9 assists per game and are third from the bottom in points scored per game at 101.6. Cleveland also has the 5th lowest rebounding average in the league at 42.7 per game. Their scoring defense of 112.1 points per game allowed is ranked 21st among 30 NBA teams.
Who Wins?
Indiana is 6-1 SU in their last six games played. The Pacers are 5-2 SU in their last seven games on the road. On the other hand, the Cavs are 0-5 SU in their last five games played. Cleveland is a paltry 5-16 SU at home this season. Head to head, the Cavs are 4-2 SU in their last six games against the Pacers and Cleveland is also 13-3 SU in their last 16 home games against Indiana.
The Pacers have been playing very well as of late. This started when Oladipo got hurt and the team got through that period with their heads up. With Oladipo back, they have been deadlier than ever and have won 13 out of their last 16 games. Indiana had a six game win streak going before losing the the Kawhi-less Raptors in their last outing. You bet that loss has left a sour taste in their mouth that they want to throw up as soon as possible. Cleveland is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Likewise, Oladipo and company still remember the missed call that led to Larry Nance Jr.’s buzzer beating tip-in that allowed the Cavs to win 92-91 in their most recent head to head meeting. While Cleveland is confident having beaten Indiana the last time out, the Pacers have revenge in mind as well.
Cleveland has the worst record in the league and they still don’t have Kevin Love back. The Cavs have lost nine games in a row and all but two of those losses were by double digits. I don’t think this is going to be close at all.
We’re picking the Indiana Pacers to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on 1/8/19.
Other Bets To Make
The Pacers are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games played and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games played on the road. The Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games played and 11-8 ATS in 19 home games played this season. Head to head, the Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Cavs and Indiana is 5-0 ATS in their last five road games against Cleveland.
Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers 1/8/19
Spread Odds: Pacers -10.5 (-105), Cavaliers +10.5 (-115)
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/8/19
The Pacers have historically bounced back well from big losses. Indiana is 21-8 ATS in their last 29 games after a double digit SU loss. They are also 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against team with a losing home record. Meanwhile, the Cavs are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against Central Division teams and 1-4 ATS in their last five games against Eastern Conference rivals. The Cavs has lost nine in a row and have lost those games by an average losing margin of 18.67 points per game. Cleveland has played so bad lately that it’s better to give the points and take the road team here.
Prediction: Pacers -10.5
The total has gone under in 13 out of Indiana’s last 19 games played. The over is 4-1 in the Pacers’ last five road games. The total has gone over in four out of the last five games played by the Cavs .Head to head, the under is 6-3 in the last nine meetings between the Pacers and Cavs.
Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers 1/8/19
Over/Under Odds: Over 208 -110, Under 208 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/8/19
The Cavaliers have given up an average of 119.2 points per game in their last five games and Cleveland is 21st in scoring defense. Defense has been Indiana’s calling card this season but the Pacers certainly have the firepower if they want to score. In fact, Indiana’s averaged 118.8 points in their last five games played. I think the Pacers stop the Cavs but the Cavs are going to give up tons of points here, well enough to cover the 208 total.
Prediction: Over 208.
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