New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Preview
Heading into game five of this first-round matchup between the Knicks and Pacers, the series is tied at 2-2. Tuesday’s game is being played at Madison Square Garden and is set to start at 8:00 PM ET. TNT is carrying the game on TV. Looking at the money line odds, the Knicks are favored at -139, while the Pacers are at +116. The over/under line is sitting at 215.5 points, and the Knicks are giving up 2.5 points on the point spread.
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New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Over their previous five games against the Knicks, the Pacers have put together a record of 3-2. It is worth noting that even though the Knicks have gone 2-1 vs. the spread in the three most recent matchups vs. the Pacers, they are just 1-2 the last three times they hosted the Pacers.
- In their last ten games away from home, the Pacers have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 4-6 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 115 points per game in these contests.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, New York has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 104 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Pacers have gone 7-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.
- In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Knicks have a straight up record of 8-2 and an ATS mark of 4-6.
New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Prediction
Indiana had no problem with the Knicks in the last game of this series, winning by a score of 121-89. The Pacers jumped out to a 34-14 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Indiana easily covered the spread as six-point favorites and the game fell 9.5 points short of the over/under line of 219.5.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Pacers held the Knicks to just 33.7% shooting and only seven made threes. The Pacers shot 56.8% from the field and knocked down 14 threes. Tyrese Haliburton led all scorers with 20 points and also added six rebounds and five assists. Alec Burks and Jalen Brunson each had 18 points for the Knicks.
Indiana has a record of 47-35 this season and is currently 6th in the Eastern Conference. Against other teams in the East, they are 32-20 and 11-6 against their division.
As the underdog, the Pacers have gone 22-20 this season and are 24-21 against the spread on the road. Their straight-up road record is 22-24.
Indiana has won two straight games and is 2.5-point underdogs today. In their last game against the Knicks, they won 121-89 and covered the spread as 6-point favorites.
The Pacers’ O/U record for the season is 49-43, and their last two games have gone under the posted totals. On average, their games have combined for 241.6 points.
Indiana’s O/U record for the season is now 49-43 after two straight unders. Today’s line of 215.5 is lower than 91 of their previous games.
Indiana is the NBA’s top-scoring team this season, at 123.3 points per game. They have been even better on the road, at 119.8 points per contest. Looking at their pace, the Pacers are 4th in the league, averaging 101.2 possessions per game.
Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 22.4 points per game in his last five games on a shooting percentage of 51.2%. In these games, he is averaging 4.2 made threes per game. For the season, he is averaging 10.9 assists per game. Pascal Siakam is averaging 21.7 points per game for the season and 18.4 in his last five games.
On the season, the Pacers are giving up 119.2 points per game, which is 27th in the NBA. When playing on the road, they are allowing 121.2 points per game, which is 28th in the league.
Despite being 28th in the league in rebounds per game, Indiana is 8th in blocked shots per game. They also lead the NBA in three-pointers made allowed per game at just 10.8.
Over their last five games, the Pacers have allowed 108.8 points per game. During that stretch, they are 22nd in the NBA in three-point percentage allowed.
Today, the Knicks will look to bounce back from a 121-89 loss to the Pacers. In that game, the O/U line was 219.5, and the teams combined for just 210 points. New York was a 6-point underdog in that game.
This season, the Knicks have an O/U record of 42-49-1, and the under has hit in their last two games. On average, their games have seen a combined scoring total of 221.1 points, with an average O/U line of 220.7.
New York has gone 50-32 this season, putting them in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. At home, they are 31-15 compared to 25-21 on the road.
Against the spread, the Knicks are 50-41 this season, going 24-22 ATS at home and 26-19 ATS on the road. As the favorite, they are 30-21 ATS and have covered the spread in their last two games.
Overall, the Knicks are 19th in scoring at 112.8 points per game. Their scoring average at home is just 111.5 points per contest, which is 23rd in the league. New York is the league’s slowest-paced team, averaging just 94.8 possessions per contest.
Jalen Brunson is averaging 31.4 points per game over his last five games on 47.4% shooting. In these games, he also averaged 6.8 assists. For the season, he is averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists. New York will be without Bojan Bogdanovic, OG Anunoby, and Julius Randle. Randle is averaging 24 points and 9.2 rebounds for the season.
So far this season, the Knicks have been one of the best defensive teams in the league, ranking 5th in points allowed per game at 108.6. This has been a consistent trend for New York, as they rank 3rd in points allowed per game at home.
Throughout the season, opponents have scored less than their season average in nearly 80% of games vs. the Knicks. New York has also done a good job of defending the three-point line, as opponents have made fewer threes than their season average in 65.9% of games.
One area where the Knicks have struggled defensively is in the paint, as they rank just 21st in defensive rebounds and 28th in blocked shots per game. Over their last five games, New York’s defense has struggled, ranking just 25th in points allowed.
In spite of being 2.5 point underdogs, we anticipate the Pacers winning this one 114-111.
New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Betting Tips
- We like the Pacers on the moneyline (+116)
- The Pacers are also our pick on the spread at +2.5
- Projecting a combined 225 points, we like the over
New York Knicks Injury Report
- Bojan Bogdanovic – Ankle – Out
- Julius Randle – Shoulder – Out
- OG Anunoby – Hamstring – Out
- Mitchell Robinson – Ankle – Out
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
- Tyrese Haliburton – Back/Ankle – Questionable
- Bennedict Mathurin – Shoulder – Out
