It all comes down to this. LeBron James has never been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round but the Indiana Pacers have now pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a decisive Game 7. The Cavs have the home court advantage but these two teams have battled back and forth for six contests and this one could be lining up to be a classic.
All eyes will be on Cleveland to see if LeBron can carry his team to the second round. The Cavaliers were the favorites to win the Eastern Conference heading into the postseason but their uneven regular season has carried over to the playoffs. The Pacers are the underdogs but based on the way they have stayed close throughout this series, don’t be surprised if this game comes down to the wire.
There is nothing bigger than a Game 7 and these teams will be revved up and ready to roll in NBA basketball gambling.
Game 7 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 1 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The contest will be nationally televised on ABC.
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Odds Analysis
The Cavaliers are solid favorites in Game 7, as the oddsmakers have pegged them as six-point favorites. Not surprisingly, the betting public believes that line is too high as about 85 percent of the early action has come in on the Pacers to cover.
The scoring total is listed at 200 points, as this series has been a defensive slugfest most of the way. The “over” is the more popular choice early on.
The Cavaliers are the -270 favorites on the moneyline as the oddsmakers don’t believe they will have too much trouble advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Pacers are listed as +222 underdogs. Cleveland is getting the majority of the action to win this game straight up.
Last Time Out
The Pacers took out any drama from Game 6 to set up this winner-take-all affair. Indiana used a huge third quarter to blow the game wide open and cruised to a 121-85 victory. Victor Oladipo led the way with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, playing like a superstar for Indiana. If he can put together another game like that the Cavs could be in real trouble.
Indiana shot a blazing 56.3 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range. The previous games in this series had been littered with good defense but the Pacers did whatever they wanted offensively in this one.
The Cavs shot only 41 percent from the floor in the contest and James was the only starter to reach double figures in points. He finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists, middling numbers for a player of James’ caliber, and he got virtually no help.
Injury Report
James was elbowed in the head in Game 6 and was bloodied from it, but he put a band-aid on the wound and returned to the game. There doesn’t seem to be any lingering effects from the hit and he should be good to go in the critical Game 7.
Forward Kevin Love was also hit in the face during the contest but he also returned later. Love finished with only seven points and seven rebounds, but the injury didn’t seem to have any effect.
These are the two best players on the Cavs, and while the hard hits weren’t ideal, they don’t seem like they will have any effect moving forward.
Free NBA ATS Picks
James seems a virtual lock to have a monster performance in Game 7. He is going to do everything physically possible to lift the Cavaliers to the next round, but this spread is much too high. Indiana is the easy pick to cover, and they are a great value on the moneyline to pull the upset.
The Pacers are the better team and will sneak away with a victory to end James’ season and move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in NBA basketball wagering.
NBA ATS Pick: Pacers 102, Cavaliers 99
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