The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets will conclude the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoff Sunday evening when the two sides meet in Game 7 in Houston. The Rockets have come back from a 3-1 series deficit to force the decisive contest, but they have never beaten Golden State under head coach Steve Kerr in a playoff series. The second round of the playoffs will also begin Sunday with the No. 1 seed in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, hosting the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in Game 1.
Here’s a look at both games Sunday, including projections from SportsLine’s model, expert picks and player props. You can also check out the best same-game parlays for Sunday’s action using the SportsLine model’s top-rated player props.
Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 6 p.m. ET, TNT
These Central division rivals have not met in the playoffs since 2018, when the Cavaliers won a thrilling seven-game series 4-3 behind a 45-point effort from LeBron James in Game 7. Indiana actually won three of the four regular-season meetings between the teams, although Cleveland rested its starters for the last two games which took place at the end of the year when the Cavaliers had already clinched the top seed in the conference. Cleveland made quick work of the Miami Heat in a four-game sweep, while the Pacers made a comeback against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 capped by Tyrese Haliburton’s layup at the buzzer to advance. The SportsLine model projects Haliburton to go barely Under (-128) his 28.5 points + assists line Sunday with 28.2 points + assists. Darius Garland, who missed the last two games for the Cavaliers, is considered questionable with a toe issue.
The Cavaliers are 8-point favorites according to the latest SportsLine consensus odds, priced at -339 (risk $339 to win $100) on the money line. The Pacers are +270 (risk $100 to win $270) underdogs, while the total comes in at 229.5. You can see the model’s latest projections, along with expert picks for Pacers-Cavaliers, at SportsLine.
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT
The Warriors faced a similar situation in 2023, when they failed to close out a series in the first round against the Sacramento Kings at home with a 3-2 lead. Golden State won Game 7 on the road thanks to a 50-point showing from superstar point guard Stephen Curry. The SportsLine model does not see a repeat performance in the cards, projecting Curry at 24.9 points to go Under (+100) the 26.5 line. Golden State also has Jimmy Butler, who has become known for his standout postseason performances. However, the model is taking the Under (-110) on Butler’s points + assists + rebounds prop at 36.5, projecting him for 30.1 PRA. Fred VanVleet has been a star for the Rockets, scoring 25+ points in three straight games to help overcome this deficit. VanVleet will be looking for support from Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, although the Rockets have also gotten timely contributions from Steven Adams and Amen Thompson.
The Rockets are 2.5-point favorites in the latest SportsLine consensus odds and are -137 (risk $137 to win $100) favorites on the money line. The Warriors are +116 (risk $100 to win $116) underdogs and the total is 205.5. You can see the latest model projections, along with expert picks for Warriors-Rockets, at SportsLine.
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