Pacers vs. Knicks Game 1 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
It’s an Eastern Conference matchup on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Pacers ended a run of five straight playoff series losses by knocking off the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round in six games and have claimed victory in 10 of their past 14 overall contests. The Knicks advanced to the second round for a second straight year after getting past the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in first round action, but have come up short in three of four meetings with the Pacers including losses in two of their past three dates at MSG.
Despite their recent home struggles versus Indiana, the Knicks are listed as 5.5-point favourites on the Monday NBA odds, and also enter Game 1 perched as -250 chalk on the NBA series prices. The Pacers lag as +180 underdogs on the Game 1 odds and as a +200 bet to claim the series win. The total for Monday’s contest is listed at 216.5, with -120 odds favouring the OVER.
Pacers vs. Knicks NBA Playoff Betting Odds
After getting swept in three of their past four playoff series and losing 11 straight playoff games, the Pacers finally turned things around in the first round. The club rebounded from a Game 1 loss to bounce the Bucks in six games. However, the Pacers still have work to do to overcome their brutal postseason track record on the road, where they have lost 18 of 21 games since May 2014, and are also a dismal 1-12 straight up in their past 13 while pegged as road underdogs by five or more points in playoff action. However, Indy has held the upper hand in recent dates with the Knicks, averaging 127.8 points per game while winning three of four meetings and saw three of their four first round wins come by double-digit margins. The Knicks are coming off a hard-fought first round clash with the Sixers, with their six dates getting settled by an average margin of just 5.8 points. The Knicks enter the second round on a 5-1 run at home, but have covered just once in their past five home dates.
Indiana Pacers
Former Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam played a big role in the Pacers’ first round success against the Bucks. “Spicy P” averaged a team-high 22.3 points and was particularly impressive while averaging 36.5 points over the first two games in Milwaukee. However, Siakam averaged just 19.5 points in four dates versus New York this season and his ability to pay out as a -115 bet to top 20.5 points on the Monday NBA player props will be crucial to the Pacers’ Game 1 hopes.
New York Knicks
The Knicks’ leading scorer during the regular season, Jalen Brunson was also the star of the team’s first round win over Philadelphia. Brunson steadily gained momentum as the series progressed, and topped 40 points in the final three games, capped by a 41-point, 12-assist performance in a series-clinching 118-115 win in Game 6. Josh Hart demonstrated his versatility in the first round. The veteran shooting guard not only led the club with 12.3 boards per game, but was also send only to Brunson with 16.8 points and 4.5 helpers per game.
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