2025 NBA odds, predictions: Back Cavaliers in 5 over Pacers

As the first round of the NBA playoffs winds down, the Eastern Conference semifinals have been solidified. 

The Knicks rallied late to defeat the Pistons in Game 6. They erased a seven-point lead in the final minutes, winning on a Jalen Brunson 3-pointer. The Knicks won the series 4-2. This was a strange series that saw the road team win the last five games, and the Pistons had a fourth-quarter lead in all six games, despite losing the series. 

The Knicks will now face the defending champion Boston Celtics. This series tips off on Monday, and the Knicks are as high as 6-1 underdogs at some sportsbooks. 

New York hopes this postseason meeting goes better than the four regular-season meetings between the two teams, considering the Celtics swept the Knicks, winning by an average of 16.3 points per game. 

The winner of that series will take on the winner of what should be a fun and exciting matchup between the Indiana Pacers and top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the other Eastern Conference semifinal. 

From a betting perspective, the Cavaliers — like the Celtics — are heavy favorites. 

A $5 bet on the Cavaliers to win the series would only net just $1 in winnings. The regular-season meetings between these teams might give Pacers fans some hope, though, as Indiana went 3-1 in the four games. However, two of those games were late in the season, when the Cavaliers had already clinched home-court advantage and did not play some of their key players. 

This series won't lack excitement. Both teams play at a fast pace, and both teams light up the scoreboard. The Cavs score 122.1 points per game (first in the league), and the Pacers score 117.4 points per game (seventh in the league). 

Jalen Brunson sends Pistons home with game-winning 3

Both teams also profile as small(ish) in terms of size, which is my concern when it comes to the Pacers’ ability to pull off an upset. These squads are so similar, but the Cavs are simply the better version. For the Pacers to pull off the upset, they will have to win at least one game in Cleveland, where the Cavs went 34-7 this year. 

I like the Cavs minus 1.5 games on the series spread at DraftKings Sportsbook. This means the bet wins if Cleveland wins the series in six games or fewer. 

Another way to attack this is "Cavs in five" on the correct series score market at DraftKings. That pays +285 odds. The 64-18 Cavs winning the first two in Cleveland, splitting the next two games in Indiana, then clinching the series in Game 5 seems like a very plausible scenario. 

Despite having the best record in the East, the Cavs are still underrated. I think they advance with relative ease against the scrappy Pacers.

PICKS: 
Cavaliers (-160) -1.5 games
Cavaliers (+285) to win series in five games 

Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.

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