Key Points
- SJ breaks down her favorite bets for Game 2 between the Pacers and Cavaliers
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the
Indiana Pacers
(1-0) and the Cleveland Cavaliers
(0-1) is tonight!
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The
Pacers
stunned the
Cavaliers
in Game 1 with a complete 121-112 domination. Heck, the Pacers were up by 23 points at one point! The Cavaliers were without Darius Garland, who's nursing a toe injury. In lieu,
Tyrese Haliburton
had a monstrous performance for the Pacers—recording 22 points and 13 rebounds.
A Cleveland defense that's been potent all season couldn't stop the Pacers if they wanted to. All five starters erupted for points in double figures for the Pacers. In addition, the bench produced 29 points for head coach Rick Carlisle.
Shooting 53 percent from the field and 52.8 percent from three, the Pacers' offense was humming. Not to mention, Indiana was 14-15 from the charity stripe.
After an exciting fourth quarter, Cleveland was able to tie things with just under eight minutes remaining. Despite
Donovan Mitchell's
33 points, the Cavaliers fell short.
The Cavaliers head into Game 2 with -220 odds on Bet MGM to win the series, and are massive 9.5 point favorites at home. In addition to Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter have been added to the the Cavaliers injury report.
Will the Cavaliers tie things up, or will the Pacers go up 2-0 in the series on the road?
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Odds Are Current As Of May 6 AT 8 A.M. ET
If you're looking to bet on the NBA Playoffs: Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game 2, welcome! I swept my picks in Game 1, and finished 3-0 in my last article! Let's keep the hot streak going tonight!
With tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET, the Pacers and Cavaliers matchup will air on TNT, truTV, and Max.
In this article you will find my three best bets and player prop predictions for the May 6 Game 2 outing between the Pacers and Cavaliers. It's important to note, I've placed all my plays as three separate bets!
NBA Playoffs Bets: Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game 2 BetMGM Betting Odds For May 6
MONEYLINE
- INDIANA PACERS: +310
- CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: -400
SPREAD
- INDIANA PACERS: +9.5 (-115)
- CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: -9.5 (-105)
OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)
- OVER: 229.5 (-115)
- UNDER: 229.5 (-105)
2025 NBA Playoffs H2H Matchups: Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Game 1: May 4, 2025: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112 ( Indiana +8.5, over 228.5)
Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report
PACERS
- Isaiah Jackson, F: OUT (Achilles)
CAVALIERS
- Darius Garland, G: Questionable (Toe)
- De'Andre Hunter, F: Questionable (Thumb)
- Evan Mobley, F: Questionable (Ankle)
*Odds are courtesy of BetMGM*
Player Prop Best Bet #1: Andrew Nembhard
Andrew Nembhard 2025 NBA Playoffs Stats
PPG: 16.3 | FG: 52.2 % | FT: 100 % | 3PT: 57.1 % | REB: 2.8 | AST: 5.0 | STL: 1.2 | BLK: 0.2
- Over 1.5 Made Threes (+110 FanDuel)
My first bet for tonight, I placed one unit on Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard
to record over 1.5 made threes vs the Cavaliers in Game 2.
What makes the Pacers such a scary team is their depth. Nembhard is flown under the radar, and remains a crucial piece for this Pacers team.
- Taking a gigantic leap forward, he's averaged 16.3 points in six playoff games.
I truly find it baffling this prop is plus money at +110 odds when Nembhard is shooting 57.1 percent from beyond the arc in the playoffs. A monumental increase from his regular season 29.1 percentage from deep, Its hard to fade.
Where the Pacers excel well is in transition, and with Haliburton facilitating the offense, he's often found Nembhard in the playoffs. In fact, it was Nembhard who single handedly put the Cavaliers away in the fourth quarter of Game 1 with back to back 3-pointers.
Bettors saw Nembhard explode for some big games in the first round against Milwaukee—scoring back to back 17 point games.
- In five games, Nemhard recorded 11 3-pointers alone!
Is Andrew Nembhard The Pacer's Secret Weapon?
The Pacers have a ton of offensive firepower, with six players averaging points in double-digits in the playoffs. That said, Nembhard has emerged as the third leading scorer for Indiana (16.3 PPG), and is averaging 2.7 trey balls on 4.7 3-point attempts per game.
- Aforementioned, he's leading the Pacers core with a great 57.1 3-point percentage.
Do I think this trajectory will continue? It's hard to say, the Cavaliers have been an elite team all year. Although, the Cavaliers allowed the fifth best 3-point percentage to shooting guards this season (33 %).
Was Game 1 an outlier for Nembhard? If we look at the stats, his five Game 1 3-pointers were the most since January. In 13 head-to-head matchups with Cleveland since 2022, Nembard has only eclipsed 2+ threes in 2/13 games.
Tallying 23 points in Game 1, Nembhard was lights out for the Pacers. A two-way threat for Indiana, he had poise, especially with that deadly step back three over Sam Merrill.
- When teams double-team Haliburton, it often opens up the floor, and the corner three is often where he finds Nembhard.
Aforementioned, Haliburton and Nembhard are one of the best duos in transition. The Pacers like the get up the court quick, and push the pace.
- Coming off 37 points, there's big trust between Nembhard and Rick Carlisle.
Final NBA Playoffs Best Bet Pick and Prediction: Andrew Nembhard Over 1.5 Made Threes (+110 FanDuel)
Scoring 98 points, Nembard has 28 3-point attempts through the playoffs alone! Accounting for nearly 14 percent of the Pacer's playoff offense, I'm not fading this prop until the Cavaliers adjust.
Until Garland returns, Cleveland will continue to rely on Donovan Mitchell, Merrill, and Ty Jerome in the backcourt. And until Nembhard comes back down to earth, we are riding this prop, especially at plus money.
- I'm taking Andrew Nembhard to record over 1.5 Made Threes tonight. Even if Cleveland's defense comes back together, I expect plenty of offense in Game 2.
Player Prop Best Bet #2: Ty Jerome
Ty Jerome 2025 NBA Playoffs Stats
PPG: 17.2 | FG: 48.4 % | FT: 83.3 % | 3PT: 45.8 % | REB: 3.4 | AST: 5.4 | STL: 0.8 | BLK: 1.2
- Over 18.5 Points + Assists (-125 DraftKings)
My second best bet for tonight, I placed one unit on Cavaliers guard
Ty Jerome
to record over 18.5 points and assists against the Pacers in Game 2.
Darius Garland is once again questionable to lace up tonight with toe injury. Even if he does, Garland hasn't played in a game since April 23.
Ty Jerome continues to be the most important, crucial x-factor off the bench for head coach Kenny Atkinson.
- We've seen this all year, as Jerome averaged career-highs in points (12.7 PPG), 3-point percentage (43.9 %), and field goal percentage (51.6 %).
With Garland only suiting up for two playoff games, Jerome has emerged as the Cavaliers third leading scorer in the playoffs behind Donovan Mitchell and Garland with 17.2 PPG.
- He additionally ranks third in field goal attempts (12.4), and 4.8 3-pointers taken per game.
Although Jerome struggled last game, he finished 8-20 from the field with 21 points in Game 1. Coming up short against the Pacers, he shot 1-4 from deep, and added eight assists.
Jerome has been essential for the Cavaliers, and one of the most consistent players off the bench.
- Erupting for 28 points against Miami in the first round Game 1, he's recorded 13+ points alone in four of five playoff games.
Is This Player Prop Bet Set Low For Tonight's Pacers vs Cavaliers Matchup?
I personally love this player prop from a points standpoint alone. Through five games, Jerome has recored 86 points in 121 minutes.
- Playing 29 minutes on Game 1 against the Pacers is the most he's played in the playoffs.
He's accounted for 14 percent of the Cavaliers offense off the bench! Shooting 45.8 percent from deep, I believe Jerome could seal 80 percent of this prop from points alone. Not to mention he let it fly, recording 20 field goal attempts in Game 1!
The Pacers dominated Miami in every facet in the first round, so it's hard to judge stats. In blow out games, we saw Jerome's ability to facilitate at a high level.
- Recording 11 assists in Game 3 vs the Heat, he's coming off eight against the Pacers!
Given Jerome has 45 combined points against Indiana in their last two outings, he's averaging more than 17 points over the last five games.
- Plus, he's recorded 24 assists over the last three games.
Overall, Ty Jerome has proved himself in Cleveland. Not afraid to pull from deep, Jerome continues to thrive on a guard heavy roster with Mitchell, Max Strus, and Sam Merrill.
Final NBA Playoffs Best Bet Pick and Prediction: Ty Jerome Over 18.5 Points + Assists (-125 DraftKings)
If he's able to find his rhythm, Jerome was a crucial x-factor in the Cavaliers fight in the second half of Game 1. Able to attack and put up floaters, let' not forget Jerome's fourth quarter contributions. Scoring eight points in the final quarter, he was on the floor in the most crucial of times.
- I'm taking Ty Jerome to keep it flowing and to record over 18.5 points and assists tonight. Soaring over this prop in two straight matchups against the Pacers, he's averaging 23.1 points and assists over the last 10 games, dating back to the regular season.
Best Spread Bet: Pacers vs Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers +9 (-110 FanDuel)
My third best bet for tonight, I placed one unit on the
Pacers
to cover the nine point spread against the Cavaliers in Game 2.
Sure, the Pacers have a lot going against them. They face a historically elite Cavaliers team, and they are on the road. However, the Pacers won the regular season series 3-1, and took Game 1.
The Cavaliers have a banged up squad, now with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De'Andrea Hunter listed on the injury report.
- Remind me why the Cavaliers are now 9.5 point favorites?
The Cavaliers are undoubtedly a vastly different team without Garland. However, the Pacers are a true threat in the East, and held a +15 point differential in four regular season games against the Cavaliers.
Now with two victories in Cleveland including the playoffs, the Pacers are 3-2 ATS against Cleveland since January.
- Covering a large 8.5 underdog spread in Game 1, we've seen Indiana cover a massive 9.0 point spread back in January.
The Pacers deserve to be here, and have been knocking at the door the past few seasons. There's a reason why they rank No. 2 in offensive rating (118.7), and No. 7 in defensive rating (111.2) in the playoffs.
Are The Pacers A NBA Championship Caliber Team?
What makes the Pacers so great, no pun intended, is their ability to push the Pace. With several scoring options, it's virtually impossible for the Cavaliers to defend both the weak and strong side of the ball.
The Pacers came out swinging, making a statement after shooting well over 50 percent from the field and 3-point range on Cleveland's home court.
- Not to mention, the Pacers had six players who recorded points in double figures.
Aside from Donovan Mitchell exploding for 33 points, the Cavaliers shot 23.7 percent from deep. It's hard to keep up with the Pacers, who secured a nine point victory in the end.
- The Cavaliers may have beat up the Pacers in the paint, but Indiana won the 3-point and free-throw battle.
I do think the books are sleeping on the Pacers, and Cleveland isn't in South Beach anymore. It doesn't make sense Cleveland was 8, 12, 5, and 8 point spread favorites in the first round.
Final NBA Playoffs Best Bet Pick and Prediction: Indiana Pacers +9 (-110 FanDuel)
Given the Pacers are coming off a massive Game 1 victory, I do expect the Cavaliers to make defensive adjustments. However, I think these two teams are more similar than casual fans think. I would expect the spread to be five points or less.
- With a clean bill of health, the Pacers face a Cavaliers team who once again has question marks with injuries. I'm riding with the Pacers to cover the +9.0 point underdog spread tonight. It's time we throw some respect on the Pacers name.
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