Cleveland Cavaliers Game Tonight: Cavs vs Pacers Odds, Starting Lineup, Injury Report, Predictions, TV channel for Dec 29

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off of back-to-back losses and hoping to right the ship on the road, taking a brief Central Division Midwest trip to Indiana and Chicago to close out the year. In a 2022 full of standout moments, the Cavs hope to close things out on a high note.

That brief road trip will begin tonight in Indianapolis against the Pacers, a team holding serve at around .500. They have individual players performing at a high level, but the lack of depth and overall talent on the roster seems to have them destined for the Play-In Tournament.

Tyrese Haliburton has been the brightest spot, leading the league in assists and proving to be an All-Star caliber guard. He is questionable tonight, however, with a right knee bruise. Playing without Haliburton would make defeating the Cavs an even harder mountain to climb.

Betting odds, spread, over/under

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be on the road but they are still betting favorites against the Pacers. WynnBet favors the Cavs by 5.5 points, and the over/under point total is set at 223.

Cavs injury report

Robin Lopez (questionable, illness); Dean Wade (out, shoulder); (Ricky Rubio (out, knee); Dylan Windler (out indefinitely, ankle)

Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineup tonight

Cavs: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Lamar Stevens, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner

Prediction

The Cleveland Cavaliers are right there with the Milwaukee Bucks as the league’s best interior defense, and overall are still the No. 1 defense by more than a full point per 100 possession. That strangles the offensive attack for most teams, and it might be enough to hold down the Pacers tonight.

The problem is that the Pacers love to get out in transition, ranking sixth in pace, and will jack up 3-pointers for days; they are fourth in 3-point attempt rate. Defending the paint in the halfcourt becomes less valuable if the opposing team is scoring in transition and from beyond the arc.

Still, the Pacers have to not only find a way to score against the Cavs, they have to slow them down. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are a potent pairing, and the Pacers don’t start enough perimeter defense to lock them up. Once bench players start rotating in, Cleveland fans an advantage as well.

If the Pacers are hot from deep they could absolutely win this game, but in the end the Cavs right the ship and overwhelm the thinner Pacers squad.

Prediction: Cleveland 109, Indiana 105

PACERS (+5.5), UNDER

What channel is the Cleveland Cavaliers game on?

The Cavaliers and Pacers will face off on local television networks tonight. That means Bally Sports Ohio for Cleveland fans and Bally Sports Indiana or Midwest for those near Indianapolis. NBA League Pass will work for everyone else. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. [full team name] live stream

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Cleveland Cavaliers next games and schedule

Sat, Dec 31 – Cavs @ Bulls

Mon, Jan 2 – Cavs vs Bulls

Wed, Jan 4 – Cavs vs Suns

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change