The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Indiana Pacers on March 18 (Monday) at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This will be the third matchup between the two teams this season, with the Pacers winning the first two. Their most recent matchup was on November 3, when Myles Turner scored 27 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks. While Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points, nine assists, five rebounds and one steal for the Cavaliers. Cleveland leads the all-time matchup by 108–101.
Preview
The Cavaliers are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 42-25 record. They have won only four out of their last 10 games. Their most recent defeat came against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Caris LeVert scored 21 points, but that was not enough. Mitchell scored 13 points, while Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen had 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 38-20 record and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a 121-100 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Pascal Siakam scored 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton scored 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Starting lineup
The Cavaliers have four players listed out for the upcoming match: Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Ty Jerome. While Dean Wade is questionable with a knee injury. Cleveland will most likely start with Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Georges Niang and Jarrett Allen.
The Pacers will be without Doug McDermott and Bennedict Mathurin on Monday. They are expected to start with Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner.
Betting tips
Darius Garland’s over/under for the upcoming game is 23.5 points. He has surpassed this mark three times in his last five games. You can bet on him to go over.
Tyrese Haliburton’s over/under for the upcoming game is 18.5 points, which is lower than his season average of 20.5 points. He is looking for a breakthrough game, which could be on Monday.
Also Read: 11 Warriors Players Who Could Leave the 2024 Offseason
Prediction
The Indiana Pacers are favored to win the upcoming game and defend their home court. The Cavaliers are currently injury-ridden and might not have enough power in their offense on Monday. Indiana should win the game and cover the spread as well. The team total is expected to stay below 223.5 points.
