The Indiana Pacers will look to upset the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of this first-round series. That’s going to be easier said than done, however. Will the Pacers pull off a shocker? Or will the Cavs take care of business at home?
Did you know the Pacers went 3-1 SU in the regular season against Cleveland? No, you did not. Did you also know that they also went 2-0 SU against the Golden State Warriors? We’re also pretty sure that you’re not aware of that until now. Don’t worry, a lot of other folks did now know that since the Pacers are probably the least looked at playoff team for some reason that is for another story to discuss. All that to say that the Pacers should be taken seriously in this matchup with the Cavs. Indiana has taken advantage well of the Cavs’ porous defense, as evidenced by the Pacers’ average of 108.8 points in four games against the Cavs on 48.0 percent shooting from the floor. They have also made 13.5 three-pointers on 46.2 percent accuracy in those contests. Victory Oladipo has a 25.0 point per game average opposite the Cavs. Indiana is a real threat.
The Cavs have LeBron James. That alone is enough reason why the Cavs are going to win the series. If you replace all Cleveland players not named LeBron James with guys from the Phoenix Suns, that team will still be favored to win in this series. James has been incredible in his 15th season in the league in which he just averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists across 82 games. That’s a 33-year-old dude averaging nearly a triple-double for an entire season while also shooting 54.2 percent from the field. That may not be enough to win the championship, or even take the East this season, but it will get the Cavs through Round 1. The Cavaliers are not all about LeBron, however. Kevin Love is going to be an integral part of the Cavs’ defense of their conference title. Love will enter the playoffs having averaged 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds in his last 10 games.
The Cavs are 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games. They are also 7-3 SU in their last 10 postseason outings at Quicken Loans Arena.
