NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers – Game 5 Best Bet

The Indiana Pacers look to go for the kill when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00 PM ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NBA betting odds here can be found through MyBookie, showing the Cavs favored with a point spread at -7.5 (-115).

Indiana Pacers Betting Preview

The Pacers have a perfect opportunity to close out the series against the Cavs, as they are up 3-1 with Donovan Mitchell potentially missing Game 5 for the Cavs. In Game 4, the Pacers easily took care of business 129-109.

Despite winning by 20, this was actually much worse as earlier in the game as the Pacers were up by 41 at halftime. Pascal Siakam led with 21 points on 90.0 percent shooting from the field. Six players overall reached double figures, showing their depth on offense.

Indiana shot 52.7 percent from the field and were effective from deep at 42.9 percent. They were efficient from the foul line at 16 of 20, but had a huge advantage with points in the paint at 58 compared to the Cavs’ 32.

The Pacers have put up 118.6 points per game over their last five battles, but are allowing 116.8 points on defense in this stretch. This does not offer a ton of breathing room, but they at least have been on the winning side of their close encounters.

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

The Cavs are now in do-or-die mode as they face elimination at home. The problem is that they might be without Mitchell, who suffered an ankle injury (appears to be mild watching a replay).

Game 4 was over by halftime, which many have been accusing Mitchell of faking the injury during warmups at the start of the second half in order to get additional rest or even take himself out of the equation so that he did not get hurt further. Darius Garland led with 21 points and six assists.

Cleveland made 42.9 percent of their shots and were nearly as good from deep (14-35) as the Pacers (15-35). They made a good move to try and slow down the game with their free throws, as they made 35 out of 40, which is insane to think in comparison to the Cavs 16 out of 20.

The Cavs’ offense the last five games has averaged 120.8 points a game. Their defense at the same rate has allowed 111.4 points each contest, showing a great margin of safety.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie showcases the best Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers betting odds, with the Cavs as 7.5-point favorites. Market predictions suggest the Cavs have a 52.1 percent chance at winning.

If Mitchell is not available or at least 80 percent or better of himself, the Cavs are not winning this game. They will be in desperation mode in front of their home crowd, but the Pacers are appealing to cover the spread at least.

Final Pick: Indiana Pacers +7.5 (+100)