Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers: Game 3 Odds, Analysis, NBA Betting Pick

The fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers will attempt to take a 2-1 lead against the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, when they host them as small home favorites at the sportsbooks for Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series.

The Pacers have covered the number in the first two games of the series, improving to 8-2-1 against the spread in the past 11 meetings, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.

NBA point spread: The Pacers opened as two-point favorites; the total is at 208.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report

NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 109.3-103.4, Pacers. NBA picks on every game.

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Why the Cavaliers Can Cover the Spread

The Cavaliers have yet to play their best game in this series, although they were on their way in the first half of Game 2. They led Indiana 58-46 at halftime before getting outscored 51-42 after the intermission in a 100-97 victory.

Fortunately, LeBron James had a game-high 46 points to bail out the Cavs, with only two other players also scoring in double figures. Cleveland is capable of playing much better, and Game 3 would be a perfect time for James' teammates to rise up and help the team earn a win.

Why the Pacers Can Cover the Spread

The Pacers have done a good job in getting more balanced scoring than the Cavaliers through the first two games even though Victor Oladipo has been their best player. Oladipo battled through some early foul trouble in Game 2 and then ended up with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting while adding six assists.

But Myles Turner scored 18 points too, Darren Collison added 16 and Lance Stephenson (10) finished in double figures for the second straight game. Surprisingly, Oladipo played slightly better on the road during the regular season, but he and his teammates should still be buoyed by the home crowd as they try to go up 2-1.

Smart Betting Pick

Indiana has been outstanding at home recently, going 14-4 straight up and 12-6 against the spread in its past 18 games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Meanwhile, Cleveland has split its past 10 on the road both SU and ATS

This is the biggest game of the series for the Pacers, who cannot afford to lose and give home-court advantage back to the Cavaliers, so look for them to come out strong and pull out another close win and cover.

NBA Betting Trends

Cleveland is 10-5 ATS in its past 15 games.

Indiana is 6-2 ATS in its past eight games.

The total has gone under in eight of Cleveland's past 11 games.

All NBA odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.