Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers Prediction, 5/9/2025 Preview and Pick

Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers

Date: Friday, May 9, 2025

Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland (-3.0)

Down 0 - 2 in the series, the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) are headed to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday where they will try to beat the Indiana Pacers (50-32) in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Cleveland opens this matchup as -3-point favorites. The total has been set at 202.

The Cavaliers stepped onto the hardwood against the Pacers and ended up losing by a score of 120-119 in Game 2. Cleveland wrapped up the contest with a 43.3% field goal percentage (39 out of 90) and knocked down 11 of 39 3-point shots. From the charity stripe, the Cavaliers buried 30 of 35 attempts for a rate of 85.7%. When it comes to grabbing rebounds, they earned 43 with 14 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 24 assists for the matchup in addition to forcing 18 turnovers and earning 11 steals. Pertaining to the defense, Cleveland allowed the other team to shoot 51.8% from the floor on 44 out of 85 shooting. Indiana doled out 28 assists and had 7 steals in this matchup. In addition, Indiana snagged 44 boards (11 offensive, 33 defensive) and got 5 rejections. Indiana finished the game shooting 72.4% when shooting free throws by making 21 of their 29 attempts. They also made 11 of 28 tries from long range. In the matter of personal fouls, the Cavaliers ended up walking away with 21 while the Pacers finished the game with 26 personal fouls.

Donovan Mitchell is a player who played a role for the contest. Mitchell walked away from this one shooting 50.0% from the field and recorded 9 dimes. He played for 36 minutes played and also snagged 5 boards. He ended up walking away with 48 points on 15 out of 30 shooting.

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Cleveland enters this game with a win-loss mark of 64-18 for the campaign. They are averaging 121.9 points per contest (1st in basketball) on 49.1% from the floor. The Cavaliers are connecting on 38.3% on three-point shots (1,303 of 3,401) and 77.6% from the charity stripe. As a team, Cleveland is pulling in 45.4 rebounds per game and has tallied 2,304 assists so far this year, which ranks 9th in the NBA in terms of passing. They are giving up possession 13.2 times per contest and as a basketball team are committing 18.1 fouls every game.

On defense, the Cavaliers are forcing their opponents into 14.5 turnovers per game and they draw 18.9 personal fouls. They are giving up 35.9% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they rank 12th in basketball in points per game allowed (112.4). The Cavaliers are giving up a field goal percentage of 45.4% (3,382 of 7,454) and they relinquish 43.5 rebounds per contest as a unit. They are currently ranked 8th in the NBA in allowing assists to the opposition with 2,101 conceded so far this season.

In Game 2, the Pacers were able to snag 33 defensive boards and 11 offensive rebounds totaling 44 for the game. They also gave up possession of the ball 18 times, while earning 7 steals for this contest. The Cavaliers earned 21 personal fouls for the matchup which got the Pacers to the charity stripe for a total of 29 attempts. They were able to bury 21 of the free throws for a rate of 72.4%. Pertaining to shooting from distance, Indiana buried 11 out of their 28 attempts (39.3%). When all was said and done, the Pacers went 44 for 85 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 51.8%. The Pacers allowed the Cavaliers to knock down 39 of their 90 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 43.3% in the matchup. They shot 28.2% from beyond the arc by going 11 of 39 and walked away from this one shooting 30 out of 35 from the free throw line (85.7%). When talking about attacking the glass, Indiana allowed Cleveland to collect 43 in total (14 on the offensive side).

Aaron Nesmith ended up being a factor for the Pacers in this matchup. Nesmith accumulated 23 points in his 33 mins on the court and accounted for 1 assist for the game. He converted 8 of 13 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 61.5%, and had 4 rebounds.

Indiana has a win-loss record of 50-32 for the season. On the offensive side of the ball, the Pacers are shooting 48.8% from the field, which is ranked 3rd in basketball. Indiana has accounted for 9,624 pts for the season (117.4 per game) and they pull in 41.8 rebounds per game. They are earning an assist 29.2 times per game (3rd in basketball) and they turn the ball over 13.2 times per game. The Pacers commit 18.7 fouls per contest and they go 78.9% from the charity stripe.

The Indiana defense concedes 35.5% on three-point shots (1,058 of 2,978) and opponents are converting on 77.3% of their shots from the free throw line. They surrender 26.0 assists and 45.0 rebounds per contest, which ranks them 12th and 22nd in basketball. The Pacers are ranked 17th in basketball in points given up per game with 115.1. They are forcing 15.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 47.4% from the field (23rd in the NBA).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Indiana (+3.0)

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