It’s Friday, May 9, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) and Indiana Pacers (50-32) are all set to square off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Pacers grabbed a Game 2 victory after erasing a 20-point deficit and a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner with 1.1 seconds remaining for a 120-119 win. Donovan Mitchell posted 48 points and 9 assists in a tiring all-out performance as Cleveland was without Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Deandre Hunter. All three players are questionable for Game 3.
The Cavaliers are currently 30-11 on the road with a point differential of 10, while the Pacers have an 8-2 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Cavaliers vs. Pacers live today
- Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
- Time: 7:30 PM EST
- Site: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- City: Indianapolis, IN
- Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Cavaliers vs. Pacers
The latest odds as of Friday:
- Odds: Cavaliers (-132), Pacers (+111)
- Spread: Cavaliers -2
- Over/Under: 229 points
That gives the Cavaliers an implied team point total of 115.07, and the Pacers 114.03.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Cavaliers vs. Pacers game
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Cavaliers on the ML:
“Cleveland is in an all-out motivational and must-win spot. We know the stats that teams down 3-0 are basically burnt toast, so the Cavaliers will have to do everything possible to avoid that at Indiana. While the odds are against them, Cleveland is the slight favorite and I expect that number to grow if Mobley or Hunter are ruled in. At -120 to -135 odds right now, Cleveland is the best bet as I think they close past -175.”
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Cavaliers & Pacers game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Indiana Pacers at +2.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 229.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Cavaliers vs. Pacers on Friday
- The Pacers have an average winning margin of +7 in their 5 wins against the Cavaliers this season
- 5 of the Pacers’ last 7 matchups with the Cavaliers have gone over the Total
- The Pacers have covered as an underdog 3 times in a row
- The Cavaliers have failed to cover the Spread in 3 straight matchups against Eastern Conference Central Division teams
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
– Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
– Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
– Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
– Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Published May 7, 2025 02:56 PM
It’s Friday, May 9, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) and Indiana Pacers (50-32) are all set to square off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Pacers grabbed a Game 2 victory after erasing a 20-point deficit and a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner with 1.1 seconds remaining for a 120-119 win. Donovan Mitchell posted 48 points and 9 assists in a tiring all-out performance as Cleveland was without Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Deandre Hunter. All three players are questionable for Game 3.
The Cavaliers are currently 30-11 on the road with a point differential of 10, while the Pacers have an 8-2 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Cavaliers vs. Pacers live today
- Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
- Time: 7:30 PM EST
- Site: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- City: Indianapolis, IN
- Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Cavaliers vs. Pacers
The latest odds as of Friday:
- Odds: Cavaliers (-132), Pacers (+111)
- Spread: Cavaliers -2
- Over/Under: 229 points
That gives the Cavaliers an implied team point total of 115.07, and the Pacers 114.03.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Cavaliers vs. Pacers game
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Cavaliers on the ML:
“Cleveland is in an all-out motivational and must-win spot. We know the stats that teams down 3-0 are basically burnt toast, so the Cavaliers will have to do everything possible to avoid that at Indiana. While the odds are against them, Cleveland is the slight favorite and I expect that number to grow if Mobley or Hunter are ruled in. At -120 to -135 odds right now, Cleveland is the best bet as I think they close past -175.”
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Cavaliers & Pacers game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Indiana Pacers at +2.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 229.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Cavaliers vs. Pacers on Friday
- The Pacers have an average winning margin of +7 in their 5 wins against the Cavaliers this season
- 5 of the Pacers’ last 7 matchups with the Cavaliers have gone over the Total
- The Pacers have covered as an underdog 3 times in a row
- The Cavaliers have failed to cover the Spread in 3 straight matchups against Eastern Conference Central Division teams
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
– Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
– Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
– Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
– Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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