LeBron-Led Teams Don’t Lose In the First Round

Things were looking bleak for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers. However, coming out of halftime down 25 wasn’t enough to stop LeBron James, as the king scored 28 points in the second half and recorded his 17th career triple-double to spark the improbable comeback. That Cavs victory now means that LeBron-led teams have won 20 consecutive first round matchups in the playoffs, entering a four-way tie for the most ever.

Shark Bites
  • The Pacers have never been swept in a playoff series.
  • The Cavaliers are 3-11 ATS in their past 14 games against the Pacers.
  • The favored team is 13-0 SU in the last 13 games between the Cavaliers and Pacers.

The entire Cavaliers team is playing well on both ends of the floor but you simply can’t talk about Cleveland without going on and on about LeBron. James is leading the Cavs in points, assists, steals, blocks, minutes and is second in rebounds.

Of the 121 teams in NBA history to trail a series 3-0, none have ever come back to move on. In fact, 73 of those teams ended up being swept. So, aside from the mental hill the Pacers need to overcome after Game 3 they also have to pull off a feat that has never before been done. Paul George has done everything possible to will his team forward in these playoffs, as the Pacers’ star is averaging 32.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game – all of which are leading the team.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

The visiting Cleveland Cavaliers betting line opened this morning as -3-point favorites in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was hovering around 211.5 at Sportsbook and other betting odds shops.

Odds Shark score prediction models pick a 115-106 result in favor of the Pacers today. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Indiana Pacers bring a 42-43 record (41-44 ATS) to the battle against the 54-31 Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 37-46-2 ATS. Fans OVER/UNDER betting have seen Indiana Pacers go 44-41 so far and the Cleveland Cavaliers go 50-33-2. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Indiana vs Cleveland injuries news.

The Indiana Pacers sit at No. 14 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are at No. 17 on that betting chart.

Statistical Matchup

Offensively the game matches up Indiana's No. 14-ranked offense (105.32 PPG) against a Cleveland Cavaliers defense that ranks No. 20 at 107.29 PPG. The Indiana Pacers have averaged 46.47% from the field per game, less than the Cleveland Cavaliers have managed so far this NBA season (47.16% on average).

Recent Outings Betting Recap

The Cavaliers got a 41-point performance from LeBron James as Cleveland handed Indiana a 119-114 defeat on Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Betting Trends
  • Cleveland is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 7 games
  • Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games on the road
  • Indiana is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games
  • Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
  • Indiana is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

Next Betting Matchups

Cleveland home to Indiana, Tuesday, April 25th

The Pacers have never been swept in a playoff series.home The Cavaliers are 3-11 ATS in their past 14 games against the Pacers.away The favored team is 13-0 SU in the last 13 games between the Cavaliers and Pacers.
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