Cavs vs. Pacers Thursday Prediction
A pair of surprising 3-1 teams from the Eastern Conference will meet on Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis, where the Pacers will host the Cavs at 3:00 p.m. ET. Is 7.5 points too much to lay with the host Pacers or is there a better option on the board?
Game Snapshot
511 Cleveland Cavs (+7.5) at 512 Indiana Pacers (-7.5); o/u 220.5
3:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, December 31, 2020
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV: N/A
Cleveland Cavs DFS Spin
Andre Drummond hit 7-of-13 shots for 17 points, 17 rebounds and a season-high six blocks in a loss to the Knicks on Tuesday. Drummond thrived defending the paint against another true big in Mitchell Robinson. He was able to roam off the non-shooting center and swat shots in the paint. His free-throw shooting was poor (3-of-10), and he turned the ball over four times, but managers knew they’d be punting on those categories if they drafted him. The undefeated Cavs are no more, but Drummond showed no signs of slowing down as an elite fantasy player everywhere else.
Indiana Pacers DFS Spin
Victor Oladipo hit 10-of-18 shots, two 3-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws for 24 points, six rebounds and six assists in a loss to the Celtics on Tuesday. Oladipo’s looked great in every game this season, and Tuesday was no different, coming off multiple days rest due to sitting out a back-to-back. Sure, the rest games sting for fantasy managers, but he’s looked like pre-injury Oladipo so far this season, so it’d be great to keep him that way.
Cavs vs. Pacers Betting Prediction
The Cavs have not fared well in this series from a betting standpoint. They have failed to cover in six of the last eight meetings between these two teams in Indiana and are just 9-22-2 against the spread in their last 33 games versus the Pacers overall. Cleveland has dropped four straight at the betting window when playing on only one day of rest and is 4-10 against the spread in its last 14 road games when playing an opponent with a winning home record as well.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are 8-3-1 against the spread in their last 12 games as a favorite, have covered in seven of their last 10 games coming off a loss and are 15-7-2 at the betting window in their last 24 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous contest.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: INDIANA PACERS -7.5
