Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers December 29 Betting Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers December 29 Betting Preview

Barry Devoe
1 year ago
2 min read
Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell drives to the hoop against Indiana Pacers' defenders

The Cleveland Cavaliers (22-13) fell to the Brooklyn Nets their last time out, as they dropped to fourth in the Eastern Conference.

The Indiana Pacers (18-17) are staying afloat, as they’re 5-5 in their last 10 games.

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

The Cavs were on a six game winning streak but have dropped two straight games, as they lost their hold on the third seed in the East.

The Cavs are still one of the most dangerous teams on both sides of the floor, however, as they provide stingy defense and a ton of scoring options that can shoot the three or get to the rim.

Darius Garland tried to will his team to victory in the Cavs’ loss to the Nets, but time ran out before they could pull ahead of Brooklyn. Garland finished with 46 points on the night.

Donovan Mitchell has been struggling his last couple of games, as he hasn’t been shooting the ball very well and has been locked up by the opposing team’s best defenders. However, Mitchell isn’t the type of guy to be cold for too long, so expect him to rediscover his rhythm.

Jarrett Allen will be going up against another Texas alum in Myles Turner, as Turner has proven he can be a threat behind the arc and inside the paint. Allen will need to use his physicality and defensive IQ to prevent Turner from heating up inside the paint.

The Cavs could also continue to rely on Evan Mobley, who has been getting praise from Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Indiana Pacers Betting Preview

The Pacers go as far as their real All-Star in Tyrese Haliburton takes them as he continues to carry the load offensively.

Haliburton can get hot from three and get to the rim with ease, blowing past smaller guards and challenging bigs inside the paint.

The Pacers also have Buddy Hield, who can get hot from three on any given night, and Myles Turner, who can dominate inside the paint and splash in some triples.

The Pacers came into this season with very low expectations. Still, they have just about erased all of those expectations with the sudden development of Haliburton and the Pacers sticking with Turner and Hield instead of trading them off.

The Pacers are a team that is willing to share the ball and not settle for average looks, so the Cavs’ defense will need to account for multiple guys out there.

Odds

The Cavs are favored by a -5 spread, as they’re hoping to stop the bleeding.

However, they will be heading to Indiana, where the fans can be as passionate as any around the league.

With the Cavs’ recent struggles, this is an excellent opportunity for the Pacers to further establish themselves as a playoff threat.

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