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Charlie Grant
Pacers vs. Cavaliers: Game 7 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
The Indiana Pacers have a shot to hand James his first series loss in the opening round of the playoffs in his 15-year career when they visit Cleveland for Game 7 on Sunday.
NBA Playoffs Point Spread and Betting Analysis
There wasn’t much for Cleveland backers to like in Game 6’s 34-point Indiana win. The Pacers made half their attempts from 3, nearly doubled the Cavs in points in the paint and won the fast break battle 35-12.
The good news for Cavs fans is that Game 7 is being played in Cleveland. Home teams win Game 7 in the NBA playoffs about 80 percent of the time. James is facing an elimination game in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career and he carries a perfect 12-0 first round record into the do-or-die affair.
Friday night was the first time the Pacers and Cavs played over the total in their last nine meetings. Indiana is 19-13 against the spread in its last 32 games as a road underdog and Cleveland is 11-28-1 ATS in its last 40 games as home chalk.
About 89 percent of Sports Interaction bettors are backing the Pacers to cover as 5-5-point underdogs and 90 percent expect the game to go over the 198.5-point total.
Indiana Pacers
Victor Oladipo broke out of his mini slump in a big way by registering just the third triple double in Indiana playoff history. He hit six of eight from 3-point land and finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
Indiana backup big man Domantas Sabonis scored 19 points in just a little less than 23 minutes of action in Game 6 and is outscoring Cavaliers All-Star Kevin Love 77-66 in the series.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland may be able to squeeze past the Pacers in Game 7 but the first round numbers won’t look pretty. The Cavaliers’ three wins have all come by narrow margins while two of the Pacers three wins were blowouts.
Heading into Game 7, the Pacers own the series edge in assists and rebounds per game and they’re making 5.1 percent more of their shots from the field than the Cavaliers.
