Pacers vs. Cavaliers Picks and Predictions for Friday, November 21, 2025
Use Code WWWC It’s a battle of Central Division foes on the hardwood on the shores of Lake Erie as the Indiana Pacers travel to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night, and we have you covered with our Pacers vs. Cavaliers prediction. Indiana dropped Charlotte 127-118 at home in their previous contest Wednesday night, winning outright as a two-point underdog. Cleveland fell 114-104 to Houston at home in their previous game Wednesday night, failing to cover the line as a 1.5-point underdog. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Pacers own a 111-104 advantage and have won the last two meetings, including a 126-118 double overtime road win in the most recent matchup this season April 13. Read more about this Pacers vs. Cavaliers prediction! No air balls here—only slam dunks with our NBA Picks!
Indiana Looking to Record Back-to-Back Wins
Indiana snapped an eight-game slide as they took down Charlotte at home in their previous contest on Wednesday night. The Pacers entered Thursday 2-13 on the year and in the basement of the Central Division, 11 games behind Detroit for the top spot. Against Charlotte, Indiana led 7-2 early, trailed by two late in the third quarter but closed the stanza on a 10-3 run to take a 38-33 edge. The Pacers opened a 16-point advantage at the half and led by as many as 24 en route to the win. Indiana shot 54.1% from the field, including 16 of 38 from three-point range, and overcame 16 turnovers in the contest. Bennedict Mathurin led the way for the Pacers with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
For the year, Indiana is 28th in the league in scoring offense with 110.1 points per game this season. The Pacers are 8th in rebounding with an average of 46.3 boards a night, while they are 29th in assists by dishing out 23.5 dimes per contest. Indiana is 27th in the league in scoring defense, as they allow an average of 123.1 points per game on the year. Bennedict Mathurin leads the team with 27.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season. Pascal Siakam (24.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists), Obi Toppin (14 points, 6.7 rebounds), Aaron Nesmith (15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds) and Ben Sheppard are solid scoring options. RayJ Dennis, Jarace Walker (10 points, 5.2 rebounds, three assists), Tony Bradley, T.J. McConnell, Quenton Jackson (11.8 points, 3.6 assists), Jay Huff, Andrew Nembhard (17.4 points, 6.3 assists), Isaiah Jackson, Monte Morris, and Johnny Furphy are all counted on to contribute. The Pacers are 30th in the league in field goal percentage as they are shooting 41.1% from the floor as a team. Indiana is 26th in the league in threes per game as they splash 11.3 triples per contest and the team is 30th by shooting 30.7% from beyond the arc on the year. The Pacers are below average at the charity stripe, ranking 23rd in free throw percentage by converting 77.1% of their attempts this season.
Key Injury Report for Pacers:
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- Guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) is out for the season.
- Forward Obi Toppin (foot) is out.
- Guard Kam Jones (back) is out.
- Guard Aaron Nesmith (knee) is out.
- Guard Johnny Furphy (ankle) is out.
Cavs Seeking to Get Back on Track
Cleveland had their two-game win streak snapped by the Rockets at home on Wednesday night in their previous contest. The Cavaliers entered Thursday night 10-6 on the season and stood second in the Central Division, 3.5 games behind the Pistons for the top spot. Against Houston, Cleveland gave up the first seven points, rallied to take a 15-13 lead and then surrendered a 20-4 run to end the stanza down 33-19. The Cavaliers trailed by 17 at the half and by as many as 22 in the third quarter before cutting the margin to four after three quarters. Cleveland got within two in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get any closer than four the rest of the way. The Cavaliers shot 44.4% from the floor, including 12 of 39 from three-point range, and lost the rebounding battle 51-39 in the game. De’Andre Hunter led the Cavaliers with 25 points in the loss.
The Cavaliers come into this one ranked 9th in the league in scoring offense as they put up an average of 119.9 points per game this season. Cleveland is 21st in rebounding as they grab 43.6 boards per contest and stand 10th in assists by handing out 27 dimes a contest this year. The Cavaliers are 15th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 116.1 points per game this season. Donovan Mitchell leads the way in the scoring department for Cleveland as he puts up 30.2 points plus 5.3 assists a night on the year. Evan Mobley (18.8 points, 8.6 boards, four assists), Jarrett Allen (14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds) and De’Andre Hunter (18 points, 4.7 rebounds) are solid secondary options. Jaylon Tyson (11.1 points), Dean Wade, Larry Nance Jr., Lonzo Ball, Tyrese Proctor, Thomas Bryant, Sam Merrill (13.9 points), Darius Garland (13 points, five assists), Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Craig Porter Jr. and Luke Travers are other contributors in the Cavaliers’ rotation. Cleveland is 19th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 45.8% from the floor as a team on the year. The Cavaliers are 3rd by knocking down an average of 15.7 three-pointers a night, while they are 18th by connecting on 34.9% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Cleveland is below average at the charity stripe as they rank 25th by shooting 75% from the line as a team.
Key Injury Report for Cavaliers:
- Guard Max Strus (foot) is out.
- Guard Sam Merrill (hand) is out.
- Center Jarrett Allen (finger) is questionable.
- Guard Jaylon Tyson (concussion) is questionable.
- Guard Darius Garland (toe) is questionable.
Pacers vs. Cavaliers Pick
Pacers vs. Cavaliers Spread Pick
- Cavaliers -13.5 (4 units)
Indiana comes in off a win over Charlotte but this game is on the road, where they are a putrid 0-8 on the year. The Pacers have been outscored by 19.1 points per game as the visiting team, averaging just 104.9 points per game in those outings. Cleveland is 6-3 at home and is intent on bouncing back after the loss to Houston. The Cavaliers will miss Merrill, but the Pacers are banged up at this point. Seeing how Indiana has struggled on the road this season and their injury situation, it’s hard to have faith in them here. Look for Cleveland to come up with the victory here to get back on track.
Pacers vs. Cavaliers Over/Under Pick
- Over 235.5 (4 units)
Indiana went into Tuesday having stayed under the number in nine of their 14 games this season. The Pacers are 28th in scoring offense, a dismal 29th in offensive efficiency and 9th in pace with an average of 101.7 possessions per game. Cleveland stands 9th in the league in scoring offense, 14th in offensive efficiency and 8th in tempo with an average of 101.9 possessions per game. The Cavaliers have gone over the number in eight of their 14 games and have stayed under the mark in four of their seven home games this season. With Indiana’s issues on the defensive side of the floor on the road and Cleveland being good offensively, look for this game to wind up over the total.
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