Pacers vs Cavaliers Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

Ed Scimia - Contributor at Covers.com
Ed Scimia • Betting Analyst 17+ years betting experience
Updated: Apr 5, 2026 , 01:57 PM ET • 4 min read

The Pacers own one of the worst defenses in the NBA, which the Cavaliers will capitalize en route to a high-scoring final.

NBA

Match starts: 2 hrs
IND
58 %
CLE
42 %
EXPERT PICK - TOTAL
o239.0 (-110)
Read Analysis
Max Strus Cleveland Cavaliers NBA
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Cleveland Cavaliers forward/guard Max Strus (2) celebrates after scoring a three point basket against the Golden State Warriors.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to get closer to clinching a top-four playoff seed as they host the Indiana Pacers tonight.

Cleveland and Indiana have both been playing to big scores in recent games, and I’m taking the Over to hit again tonight in my Pacers vs. Cavaliers predictions below.

Let’s look at the full breakdown of tonight’s matchup as I share my free NBA picks for Sunday, April 5.

Pacers vs Cavaliers prediction

Pacers vs Cavaliers best bet: Over 239 (-110)

The Indiana Pacers have been bad at just about everything this season, but their biggest failures have come on defense. Indiana is allowing 120.8 points per game with a defensive efficiency of 116.2, both of which rank among the Bottom 5 in the NBA. 

That already had Indiana leaning toward the Over, but the Pacers have added to that trend by finding some offensive spark in recent weeks. Over their last eight games, they are averaging 124.6 PPG, a total that would make them the league's best offensive team if they had maintained that level all year.

A Top-10 pace means both Indiana and its opponents have plenty of possessions, resulting in frequent Overs.

At 119.3 PPG, the Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the most prolific offenses in the NBA. They're shooting 48% from the field and will likely do even better against the Pacers, who are allowing opponents to hit 49.1% of their shots. Donovan Mitchell (27.7 PPG) and James Harden (20.2 PPG) have this offense humming, with Cleveland hitting the Over in three of its last four games.

These trends are all likely to continue tonight. The Pacers may suffer a bit with the loss of Pascal Siakam, but that’s going to hurt them on both sides of the ball, meaning Cleveland’s offense can pick up any slack if Indiana struggles.

I’m expecting a fast-paced game that will bring home the Over.

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Pacers vs Cavaliers same-game parlay

Along with taking the Over tonight, I’ll be looking at Cleveland’s Max Strus to continue his recent run of strong play for our parlay. Strus has averaged 18.8 PPG and five made threes over his last four games. Given the expectation of a high-scoring game — and the likelihood that the Cavaliers will be on the winning side — Strus has every opportunity to hit the Over on both his points and threes made props tonight.

Pacers vs Cavaliers SGP

  • Over 239
  • Max Strus Over 3.5 made threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Cleveland rocks

For our long-shot SGP tonight, I’m going to look at a few different Cleveland props that will come together in this game.

That starts with taking James Harden to pick up his 21st double-double of the season. I also like Dennis Schroder to hit his assists total, as he’s averaging 4.8 assists per game on the year and dished out six against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. 

Finally, let’s back Donovan Mitchell to get Over 4.5 rebounds, a total that’s right at his season average (4.5) and should be boosted against an Indiana team that ranks second-last in the NBA in rebound rate.

Pacers vs Cavaliers SGP

  • Over 239
  • James Harden double-double
  • Dennis Schroder Over 3.5 assists
  • Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 rebounds

Pacers vs Cavaliers odds

  • Spread: Pacers +15.5 (-110) | Cavaliers -15.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Pacers +900 | Cavaliers -1600
  • Over/Under: Over 239 (-110) | Under 239 (-110)

Pacers vs Cavaliers betting trend to know

The Over is 9-1 in Indiana’s last 10 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Cavaliers.

How to watch Pacers vs Cavaliers

Location Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date Sunday, April 5, 2026
Tip-off 6:00 p.m. ET
TV FDSN Indiana, FDSN Ohio

Pacers vs Cavaliers latest injuries

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Ed Scimia - Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Ed Scimia has been writing about the gaming industry for over 15 years. He graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in Magazine Journalism and Political Science in 2003, and has covered major gambling events like the World Series of Poker in his career. Since joining Covers in 2022, Ed has offered his sports betting analysis primarily on MLB, NFL, college football, and college basketball games, but is willing to take on any sport.

His betting strategy focuses more on finding line value based on deviations from the market rather than traditional handicapping, primarily shopping between DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics in his home state of Connecticut, though he’s not afraid to do deep game analysis to find profitable bets at any book.

Outside of gambling, Ed is an avid curler who competes in mixed doubles on the World Curling Tour and runs a popular curling YouTube channel, Chess on Ice. That experience has come in handy during the Olympics, when he has proven to be a successful curling bettor as well. 

Ed's advice to new bettors is to always open multiple sportsbook accounts and check the odds at each before placing any bet. Successful sports betting is about consistently beating the closing line value, which requires finding spots where one book is offering odds far better than the rest of the market and jumping on those opportunities.

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