On January 12, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 12-game winning streak came to an end with a surprising 108-93 loss to the Indiana Pacers, in which the Cavs shot just 29.8% from the field and 26.8% from beyond the arc. With the loss, Cleveland fell to 33-5 and is only on pace for 71 wins, merely the third-best winning percentage in NBA history instead of the best, which it was on pace for before.
The Cavaliers will have a chance for redemption tonight as they travel to Indianapolis for a 7 p.m. ET clash against the Pacers, who are on a six-game winning streak of their own. Here are the betting splits and most popular player prop bets at DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s nationally-televised matchup.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, Cleveland is an eight-point favorite (-310 on the Moneyline), with the point total set to 232.5. Meanwhile, Indiana is +250 on the Moneyline.
Betting Splits
A common mantra throughout the season in Cavaliers fan circles has been that the team has been disrespected, but in this instance, it’s Pacers fans who should feel miffed. The odds imply that Cleveland has a 73% chance of winning, so theoretically, 73% of the public’s bets should’ve been placed on the Cavaliers. However, bettors are relatively confident that Indiana’s victory on Sunday was somewhat of a fluke, giving the Pacers just a 16% chance of winning. Cleveland has only lost two straight games once this season, but they were both to the Atlanta Hawks — the second of three times this season that the Cavaliers have faced the same team in back-to-back games.
The big-money bets have all come in on Cleveland to cover the eight-point spread. 60% of the bets and 79% of the handle have come in on Cavaliers -8, indicating public confidence that Cleveland is, once again, being underestimated. Since the Cavaliers have taken such a massive leap this year, they have outperformed in nearly every game this season, going a league-best 26-12 against the spread. Meanwhile, Indiana has played largely to expectations, going 20-19-1 against the spread. Of Cleveland’s 33 victories this season, 25 have been by at least eight points.
The public is also expecting a high-scoring game, given that the Cavaliers have the second-best offensive rating in league history, and Indiana isn’t far behind, scoring 113.9 points per 100 possessions. Overall, 67% of bets and a whopping 92% of the handle have been placed on the game going over 232.5 points, indicating that big bettors are particularly confident in the teams’ unstoppable offenses. 24 of Cleveland’s 38 games have gone over their point totals. The over is 21-18-1 in Pacers games, although each of the last five games has gone under. One piece of key news to watch is the injury to Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is unlikely to play tonight with a hamstring injury.
Most Popular Player Props
Here are the top five most-bet player props for Tuesday’s game:
- Andrew Nembhard O6.5 Assists (-140)
- Donovan Mitchell O22.5 Points (-120)
- Donovan Mitchell U3.5 Three-Pointers Made (-130)
- Evan Mobley 1st Points Scorer (+475)
- Evan Mobley 9+ Rebounds (-155)
The public appears to be taking Haliburton’s injury into account, as bettors are confident that Nembhard — the Pacers’ starting shooting guard — will take on increased playmaking duties with Haliburton out. Nembhard has demonstrated a slight improvement in his playmaking chops in his third season, averaging a career-high 4.8 assists per game. Meanwhile, Ben Sheppard, who will likely step into Indiana’s starting lineup in Haliburton’s absence, isn’t much of a playmaker, averaging just 1.0 assists per game this season.
Other than that, all of the other top bets are on Cavaliers players. The public is confident that Mitchell, who has averaged 22.8 points per game on career-best efficiency, will have a big scoring night, even though he’s scored fewer than 20 points in each of his last four games. Bettors aren’t so confident that he’ll break out of his shooting slump, though. He’s shot just 35.7% from beyond the arc in his past four games, and the public is backing him to make three or fewer three-pointers for the fifth straight game.
Bettors are also backing Cleveland’s big man, Evan Mobley, who looks likely to earn his first All-Star appearance this season. This season, Mobley has taken a big offensive leap, averaging a career-high 18.9 points per game and even shooting 41.6% from beyond the three-point line. He’s still playing elite defense, ranking 17th in the league in defensive rating. The public is backing Mobley, who ranks third on the Cavaliers in first-quarter points, to score the game’s first points, and also to grab nine rebounds, which he’s done in 21 of his 36 games.
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