Pacers vs. Cavaliers Picks and Prediction – 5/4/2025

Indiana Pacers (47-35, #4 Seed) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29, #1 Seed)
Time: 6:00 PM ET
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
TV: TNT, truTV, Max

Previous Games:

  • Pacers: Closed out Milwaukee with a dramatic 119-118 OT win in Game 6

  • Cavaliers: Dominated Miami in a 4-game sweep, winning by 30+ points in each game

Head-to-Head:

Indiana won 3 of 4 meetings vs. Cleveland in the regular season. However, Cleveland's roster has been surging with postseason dominance, especially at home where they’re 34-7 this season. This is their first playoff meeting since 2018.

Indiana Pacers Breakdown:

The Pacers enter this series hot, having won 8 of their last 10, including three elimination games against Milwaukee. They're second in playoff offensive efficiency and average 117.3 PPG over their last 10. Tyrese Haliburton (26 PTS, GW basket in Game 6) has returned to All-Star form, while Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith have stepped up with consistent two-way play.

Key Players:

  • Tyrese Haliburton: 8.8 APG, 18.2 PPG, 39.7% 3PT

  • Myles Turner: 14.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG

  • Aaron Nesmith: 2.2 3PM (51.2%)

Cleveland Cavaliers Breakdown:

Cleveland enters off a sweep of Miami, winning by an average of 30.5 PPG. They’ve been the league’s most efficient team during the playoffs and are averaging 120.4 PPG in their last 10 games. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are leading the charge, while Darius Garland (toe) is questionable but not expected to miss extended time. Cleveland’s defense is allowing just 107 PPG over its last 10.

Key Players:

  • Donovan Mitchell: 14.9 PPG, 2.4 3PM (46.2%)

  • Evan Mobley: 17.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG

  • Jarrett Allen: 8.4 RPG, 1.4 BPG

Betting Trends:

Indiana Pacers:

  • 8-2 SU in last 10 games

  • 5-5 ATS in last 10 games

  • OVER is 6-4 in last 10

Cleveland Cavaliers:

  • 7-3 SU in last 10 games

  • 6-4 ATS in last 10 games

  • Covered the spread in 4 straight

Exact Score Prediction:

Cleveland Cavaliers 121 – Indiana Pacers 115

Our Best Bet:

OVER 229.5 (-110)

Both teams are in rhythm offensively, and neither shies away from pace. Indiana is second in playoff offensive efficiency and just gave up 118 to Milwaukee in an OT thriller, while Cleveland is averaging 120+ in their last 10 and shooting nearly 49% as a team. This is a perfect recipe for points. Game 1 sets the tone—expect both teams to push the pace and combine for 230+.

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