Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 Prediction, NBA Odds
Trailing by eights points with just 41.1 seconds remaining, the Pacers stormed back to force overtime and eventually claim a 138-135 win in Game 1 and have now erased leads of seven of more points with under a minute remaining on three occasions so far in this year’s NBA playoffs. Wednesday’s defeat extended the Knicks’ recent struggles at home, where they have won just three of seven sa far in the postseason and three of nine overall.
The Knicks’ Game 1 collapse has not dampened their NBA odds going into Game 2, where they are perched as 6.5-point favorites. However, New York now lags as a +125 bet on the NBA playoff series prices and a lengthy +850 wager on the NBA championship odds. The Pacers trail as +200 underdogs on Friday’s Game 2 odds, but lead the way as -150 chalk to win the series and trail only the Oklahoma City Thunder as +550 second favorites on the NBA Finals odds. The total for Friday’s matchup is set at 224.5.
Pacers vs. Knicks NBA Betting Odds
The Knicks’ sported the seventh best home record in the NBA during the regular season but have struggled to find consistency since the home stretch. The club has tallied consecutive wins just once during their 3-6 swoon and have gone just 1-4 against the spread in their past five at MSG while favoured by three or more points. Even after Wednesday’s high-scoring affair, the Knicks mustered just 110.8 points per game over their past six home dates and saw a six-game SU and ATS win streak while favoured at home by six or more points snapped with their series-opening loss. Conversely, the Pacers have emerged as road warriors in the postseason, scoring 122.4 points per game while winning and covering in five straight, all as betting underdogs. Indeed, the Pacers have been a solid bet as road dogs, winning outright in 15 of 20 since December 1.
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton emerged as the hero in the Pacers’ Game 1 victory. In addition to setting up Aaron Nesmith’s three-pointer that pulled Indiana to within two points in dying seconds, Haliburton hit the buzzer-beater that forced overtime and finished the contest with a team-high 31 points and 11 assists. That marked Haliburton’s sixth double-double of the postseason and adds value to his -105 odds on the NBA player props to do it again on Friday night. Nesmith turned another sensational performance from beyond the arc, hitting on eight of nine three-point attempts to finish the night with 30 points. Nesmith has now scored an average of 5.6 three-pointers so far in the playoffs and offers solid value as a +125 bet to score OVER 2.5 threes on the NBA Game 2 props.
New York Knicks
The duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns provided the offensive spark for the Knicks in Game 1. Brunson led all shooters with 43 points on a postseason-high 60% shooting and has now averaged 33 points over his past four home appearances. Overall, the Knicks have gone 13-5 over their past 18 when Brunson scores 30 or more, but has managed to reach 30 points in consecutive games just once over his past 10 appearances versus Indy. Towns enjoyed his most productive night of the NBA playoffs in Game 1, scoring 35 points and adding 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double in nine games and has recorded double-digit rebound totals in 12 of his past 13 at MSG.
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