Pacers vs. Knicks Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
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Andrew Rogers
The Knicks parted ways with David Fizdale on Friday after bumbling to a 4-18 start; Mike Miller will serve as head coach in the interim, and his first task will be to handle a Pacers team coming off a 108-101 loss to Detroit a night earlier.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Sure, the Knicks have been bad all the way around this season – but let’s focus on Indiana for the moment, because bettors will need to be wary of the Pacers’ recent struggles as an away favourite. Indiana comes into the weekend having gone just 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games when giving points on the road, though one of its three covers over that stretch came in a 121-106 rout of the Knicks at Madison Square Garden as an eight-point favourite last Jan. 11.
The total for Saturday’s encounter opened on the low end at 205.5, but has since risen a few points. And the trends, particularly on the New York side of the ledger, could result in a flood of Under money bringing the number closer to the open before tipoff. The Knicks have finished below the number in 11 of their previous 13 games as a home underdog, and these teams have cashed the Under seven times in their past nine encounters at MSG.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have overcome a litany of early-season injury concerns to post an impressive 14-8 SU record through their first 22 games – and balanced scoring has played a major role in their success. Indiana has four players (Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. Warren, Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb) averaging between 16.4 and 19.0 points per game, and all four of them are shooting better than 47 percent from the floor. Indiana also ranks fifth in fewest turnovers (13.4).
New York Knicks
What should Miller’s first priority be as temporary head coach of the Knicks? For starters, this team needs to hit more shots: New York comes into the weekend with the worst field-goal success rate in the league at 42.2 percent, which is a major problem when you factor in that it’s also 25th in attempts (86.2). He’ll also look to get more out of rookie R.J. Barrett, who is averaging 14.4 points per game but shooting below 40 percent for the season.