Friday night features key NBA playoff action. The Cleveland Cavaliers, trailing 0-2 in their series, look to rebound on the road against the Indiana Pacers. Later, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets compete to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal matchup. Coverage of the games starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Notable Betting Opportunities for Tonight
Bet 1: Aaron Nesmith Over 17.5 Points + Rebounds (-120). With the Pacers holding a commanding 2-0 series lead and Cleveland dealing with injuries to key players like Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De`Andre Hunter, Nesmith is positioned for a strong performance. He has surpassed this combined points and rebounds total in six out of seven playoff games this season. In games where he plays at least 27 minutes, which has occurred in five playoff contests, he clears this mark 65% of the time (15 of 23 instances). Nesmith appears to be a favorable bet to go over this line tonight.
Bet 2: Donovan Mitchell Over 29.5 Points (-120). Due to injuries affecting three high-impact teammates, Mitchell has taken on an increased scoring role for the Cavaliers. Despite the team`s struggles, Mitchell has been in a scoring rhythm, accumulating 81 points over the first two games of the series. He has scored 30 or more points in four of his six playoff games this season, with the only exceptions being blowout wins where he saw limited minutes. Mitchell has also reached at least 31 points in his last three games against the Pacers, including regular-season matchups.
Bet 3: Russell Westbrook Over 17.5 Points + Rebounds (-125). This prop line has slightly increased from 16.5 in the first two games, but Westbrook`s consistent performance makes it a strong play. He has recorded at least 18 combined points and rebounds in all seven playoff games this year when he played at least 10 minutes. In his last five games overall, he has averaged 17.6 points and 3.8 rebounds (a total of 21.4 P+R), exceeding 20 combined in all five contests. Against the Thunder specifically (including both playoff and regular season games), Westbrook has averaged 17.2 points and 5.0 rebounds (22.2 P+R) over their last five meetings, surpassing 20 in four of those games.
Game Previews, Odds & Injury Updates
Odds are current as of publication time. All times ET.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers
7:30 p.m. ET
- Line: Cavaliers -4.5 (-112) | Pacers +4.5 (-102)
- Moneyline: Cavaliers -195 | Pacers +165
- Total: 229.5 (Over -104, Under -110)
- Projected Total Points (Analytics): 232.7
Injury Report:
- Cavaliers: Darius Garland (Questionable – Toe), De`Andre Hunter (Questionable – Thumb), Evan Mobley (Questionable – Ankle)
- Pacers: Isaiah Jackson (Out – Achilles)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets
10:00 p.m. ET
- Line: Thunder -5.5 (-110) | Nuggets +5.5 (-104)
- Moneyline: Thunder -230 | Nuggets +195
- Total: 232.5 (Over -107, Under -107)
- Projected Total Points (Analytics): 231.4
Injury Report:
- Thunder: Nikola Topic (Out – Knee)
- Nuggets: DaRon Holmes II (Out – Achilles)
