The Cleveland Cavaliers (33-5) and Indiana Pacers (22-18) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will broadcast live on TNT.
The Cavaliers are 8.5-point favorites over the Pacers on the spread (Cavs -8.5), with the over/under set at 232.5 total points. Cleveland is a -340 favorite to win outright, while Indiana is +270 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Cavaliers vs. Pacers predictions and NBA picks for Tuesday, January 14.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers Prediction, Picks
Spread
The spread for this game opened at Cavaliers -5.5 and quickly moved up a full point to -6.5. This move came as a result from the news that Haliburton would be listed as doubtful. There has been some further Cleveland sentiment in the market, bringing this out to a consensus Cavs -8.5 now.
Cleveland is in a revenge spot here after the Pacers beat them just two days ago on the Cavs home court by 15 points!
It is important to note the Cavs took steam, and the over took action in the pregame market despite it being a Pacers/under outcome. I always feel the line movement is more indicative of future games than the result of a single game.
Moneyline
The moneyline for this game is inviting for the Pacers but not the Cavaliers.
If you like the Pacers to beat the Cavs twice in three days, then you should definitely play a home underdog of +245 on the ML.
If you like Cleveland, with Haliburton likely out in a high-paced game, I would rather just play the spread and forego a 75% implied probability ML on a road favorite.
Over/Under
The over here is my favorite play at 229. The opening line was 227.5 and has climbed all the way up to 232.5 since then, but more importantly, the closing line when these two teams played on Sunday was 239.5 or 240.
Tyrese Haliburton is not worth 11 points to a total! One result is not worth a decrease of 11 points in total!
On Sunday, these two teams came out of the gates incredibly slow, and it just never picked up. Now, in a usual night game weekday routine, this should be a more normal pace from the start with two high-powered offenses going at it.
With Haliburton out of the lineup, McConnell should start, and the Pacers are still expected to play incredibly fast.
My Pick: Over 229
Cavaliers vs. Pacers Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 232.5 -110 / -110 | -340 |
| Pacers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 232.5 -110 / -110 | +270 |
- Cavaliers vs. Pacers spread: Cavaliers -8.5
- Cavaliers vs. Pacers over/under: 232.5 total points
- Cavaliers vs. Pacers moneyline: Cavaliers -340, Pacers +270
- Cavaliers vs. Pacers best bet: Over 229
My Pacers vs. Cavaliers best bet is on the Over, with the best line currently available at FanDuel. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers NBA Tuesday Preview
My best bet for this game is the over. If we contextualize the gambling market with two games in short order, the same teams playing Sunday and Tuesday, then in no way should the total have dipped 11 points.
Yes, there is an injury to Haliburton, but I would say he is worth a maximum of 5 points to a total, and I would forecast slightly less.
The two sentiments here could be with me saying play the over or that the first game was incorrectly priced, and this is now right.
However, I will always sell on the second concept, that the previous game was incorrectly priced because the gambling market has proven its efficiency and a previous closing line had many smart bettors hitting the line.
This line has only been posted for 2-3 hours, so there should be a heavy over sentiment here. I would imagine this closes north of 230.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers Best Bets, Predictions
If you are interested in a small same game parlay, take the over in this game with Andrew Nembhard over 22.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists.
Nembhard will slide into a lead creator role with Haliburton out. We have seen this in the few times Haliburton has missed some time.
Nembhard has all the tools to be a special two-way player, and on any given night, he can light it up.
Given that Cleveland has such stout rim protectors, I want to target the usage rate on the perimeter.
This gives a +203 payout, which is reduced from the normal two-leg parlay price because of the correlation. Play it small if you like parlays, but the over is the spot.
Best Bet: Over 229
Cavaliers vs. Pacers Same Game Parlay Picks
- Over 229
- Andrew Nembhard Over 22.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
Parlay Payout: +203
