Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 12/01/25

I expected more from the Cavaliers in last night’s game against the Celtics, but unfortunately they failed to deliver as 7.5 point favorites. Payton Pritchard torched them for 42 points and 6 threes made, the effort on defense just wasn’t there. The good thing about the NBA is that the Cavs get a chance to redeem themselves very quickly after last night’s loss, as they take on the Indiana Pacers. Cleveland is already up 1-0 in the regular season series, but are we ready to trust them after 3 consecutive defeats? Jarrett Allen, Larry Nance, Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill and Max Strus all remain out with injuries, the depth of the Cavs just isn’t there at the moment.

Indiana knows a thing or two about injuries, half their team has been out for the most part of these first 20 games of the season and their record reflects it. Things seem to be moving in the right direction though, Indy has won back-to-back games against the Wizards and Bulls in a back-to-back scenario. Granted, Cleveland is a whole new level compared to those two teams, but then again the recent form of the Cavs warrants us thinking twice before backing against the Pacers here. Pascal Siakam is a nightly 20+ point guarantee, while Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin are capable of delivering big time performances on occasions when you least expect them to.

It’s only a matter of time until the Cavs turn things around, until they do so I’m not touching them. Despite their poor record this season, Indiana has been a reliable bet in home games covering 7 times in 10 outings. Plus, all 4 of their wins this season came at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. I’ll give Indy the nod here.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers Predictions: Pacers +6.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.