Game Time: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 11th, 2022 

Venue:  Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

Where to Watch:  NBA League Pass

Opening NBA Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Spread:  NL

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread:  

WynnBet: Spread:  

Cavaliers: 34-21, 4th place Eastern Conference

Pacers: 19-37, 13th place Eastern Conference

An NBA matchup of teams that will have to be reintroduced to each other. The NBA trade deadline is on us and when this game tips-off it will have passed.  Normally when #4 plays #13 no one cares.  I have a money roll that cares quite a bit.

The Cleveland Cavaliers did the majority of  their work in the off-season.  There is still an hour or so for the Cavs to make a big move… but they shouldn’t and simply don’t have to.  The one move they did make was for Indiana SG/SF Caris LaVert.  Funny that they will be playing Indiana so soon after. The Cavs added C Jarrett Allen in the offseason and he looks like an all-star in his new threads.  The Cavs drafted PF Evan Mobley in the offseason and he looks like the ROY unless something amazing happens with the 27 games left to play (like the Toronto Raptors running the offense though Scottie Barnes instead of Fred VanVleet like they should have been and eventually will be doing). The Cavs saw the rise of 2019 NBA Draft #5 overall pick Darius Garland into a full-fledged star.  The Cavs are done building.  

The Indiana Pacers blew it all up… and they should have. They moved Caris LaVert to Cleveland for an assortment of junk that they will waive… and some future draft considerations,  The move will allow them to further lose games and get into the #1 draft pick through the lottery conversation… especially with the better odds for teams just outside of the worst 5 in the league.  The real deal was of course PF/C Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento along with Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday and a 2023 2nd round pick.  The Pacers are being declared the winner of the trade by horribly short-sighted talking heads on TV.  Yes, they received PG/SG Tyrese Haliburton who is GREAT and on a rookie contract.  They also received sharpshooter Buddy Hield who the Lakers wish they had picked over Russelll Westbrook when they had the chance. Also they got Tristan Thompson to make the money work.  Tristan will be waived as soon as the contract allows.  The Talking heads are wrong.  The Pacers gave up the player (Sabonis) that led them in Points, Assists, Rebounds, and was close in steals.  The Pacers gave up a three column leader.  The Pacers will have to work Halliburton, who is only 21 years old into a squad that has very little talent left.   They will have to work with Buddy Hield, who never secured the starting 2-guard spot on the SACRAMENTO KINGS!  Meanwhile, the Kings get to give their team to a player who is already ready to lead them in Points, Assists, and Rebounds.  The trade may end up better for the Pacers… The Kings are the team I don’t want to play this morning.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won 6 of their last ten games.  Losing to the Charlotte Hornets, the Houston Rockets, the Detroit Pistons, and the Chicago Bulls…. WHAT?  The Hornets and the Bulls are completely forgivable; those are good teams!... but the.. But the… The Detroit Pistons and the Houstons Rockets???  Those are literally terrible teams that have been embracing losing as a way to get a better draft position?  That is exactly the problem with young teams.  The emotions go up and down.  When they play terrible teams like Houston or Detroit or Orlando… They are literally playing guys they saw in college the whole year they were in college.  A young team doesn’t project confidence or intimidation even when they are 4th in the East!  That is why the Cavaliers are only 4-6 ATS over the ten games.  They win a lot but they can lose to anybody.  That is why they should not make any moves.  The current course of action is growing the winning group they have now!  They will not make the Finals… they might not win a single playoff game before losing their first playoff series since LeBron donned the jersey.  Still the name of the game right now is GROW what they have.  They are growing.

The Indiana Pacers have won 2 of their last ten games.  They are loaded with new players and will stumble further trying to work them all in.  They are only 3-6-1 ATS over the last ten.  They will be missing their leading scorer and leading rebounder as he is now on the Kings… They are also a team with a loaded injury list… so even if you think the New Players will make a difference… they can’t really make a difference now.  TJ Warren Out… Malcolm Brogdon Out… Myles Turner Out, TJ McConnell Out.  The new players are joining an empty team.

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The Cavs are 34-21 on the season, but 33-20-1 ATS.  They have logged 20 Overs and 35 Unders.  They are 16-12 in road games.

The Pacers are 19-37 on the season, but 25-28-3 ATS.  They have notched 29 Overs, 26 Unders, and 1 Push. They are a dismal 13-15 in home games.

The Cavs are 23rd in scoring with 106.5 ppg, 10th in rebounds with 45.4 per game, and 18th in AST/To ratio with 1.7.  They are 1st on defense thanks to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley altering shots like G’s.

The Pacers are 16th in scoring with 108.8 ppg, 16th in rebounds with 44.6 per game, and 19th in AST/TO ratio with 1.7.  They are 22d on defense while allowing 111.3 per game.

Our prediction for Friday, February 11th is….  Cavaliers 120 - Pacers 99

Big win for the Cavs.  The Cavs have a history of playing down to the competition.  In this game there is simply no competition.  The Pacers will not be suiting up enough “ready to play” players.  As much as you think of the players coming over from the Kings… I don’t remember the Kings having any signature win.

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The betting trends are remarkably even between these two teams.

The Cavs are 3-2 ATS versus Indiana over the last 3 seasons.

5 of 8 games have gone UNDER in this matchup .

The Pacers are 1-0 ATS versus Cleveland at Indiana the last 3 seasons.

The Indiana Pacers will be missing as many as 9 players at tip-off time if the new players all don’t pass physicals and settle in by game time.  The Pacers will definitely be missing 5 players no matter what happens with the new players.  Indiana will be starting a fugazzi team.

Cavs: Lauri Markkanen (ankle) Out ** PG Colin Sexton (knee) Out

Pacers: TJ Warren ** Malcolm Brogdon ** Ricky Rubio * Myles Turner ** TJ McConnell

Cavs: PF Evan Mobley, SF Dean Wade, C Jarrett Allen, PG Darius Garland, PG Isaac Okoro

Pacers: SF Chris Duarte, PF Torrey Craig, C Goga Bitadze, Sg Lance Stephenson, PG Keifer Sykes

Cavs

Points: Darius Garland 19.9

Assists: Darius Garland 8.1

Rebounds: Jarrett Allen 11.2

Steals: Ricky Rubio GONE

Blocks: Evan Mobley 1.7

Pacers

Points: Domantas Sabonis GONE

Assists: Malcolm Brogdon INJURED

Rebounds: Domantas Sabonis GONE

Steals: Chris Duarte 1.1

Blocks: Myle Turner INJURED

Cavs: J.B. Bickerstaff

Pacers: Rick Carlisle