Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Expert Pick And Predictions – May 8, 2024

INDIANA PACERS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS – MAY 8, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA playoff coverage here at Godzilla Wins. The only game on the slate for today features the Indiana Pacers (51-39 SU, 48-39-3 ATS) traveling on the road to take on the New York Knicks (55-34 SU, 47-41-1 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into Game 2 and why.

Tipoff

When: Wednesday, May 8, 2024 @ 8:00 PM ET

Where: Madison Square Garden,  New York City, NY

TV: TNT and truTV

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks – Series Recap & Betting Trends

Can The Pacers Bounce Back From A Narrow Loss In Game 1?

Following their first-round win over the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers were looking to build on that success heading into the series opener against the Knicks. Indiana led by as many as nine points in the final frame but came a bit short, as New York went on to win the game by a 121-117 margin.

Myles Turner paced the team’s offense with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc. He also had three assists and two rebounds.

Pascal Siakam added 19 points, six boards, and five dimes. T.J. McConnell scored 20 points in the series finale against the Bucks and registered 18 points in this contest for a bench unit that outscored New York’s reserves by a 46-3 margin.

“Playing in an arena like this, having it come down to the last couple of possessions on the road in the playoffs, what more can you ask for?” Pacers guard McConnell said after the game. “The ball didn’t bounce our way. We just got to adjust and fix some things.”

As was the case against the Bucks, the Pacers are confident in their ability to hang with the top teams in the conference. Although they failed to close the deal in Game 1, they have to like their chances going into Game 2.

Will The “Villanova Three” Put Together Another Solid Performance?

The Knicks advanced to the conference semifinal round for the second straight season. Last year, they were defeated by the Miami Heat in six games. With that in mind, New York came into this matchup eager to prove that finishing with the second-best record in the East was not a fluke.

The Knicks were down by nine points in the final frame and trailed 115-113 with 40 seconds left in regulation. With the teams knotted at 115, Donte DiVincenzo nailed a crucial three-point shot, enabling the home team to escape with a four-point victory.

All five of the Knicks’ starting unit scored in double figures. Jalen Brunson led the way with 43 points on 14-for-26 shooting from the floor and a 14-for-14 effort from the charity stripe. He also tallied six rebounds and six assists en route to becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to produce four consecutive 40-plus point performances.

DiVincenzo added 25 points while shooting 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Josh Hart scored 24 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and had eight assists. The trio — all of whom played on the Villanova Wildcats championship team back in 2016 — accounted for 92 points, including 34 of the team’s 39 points in the fourth quarter. With the lack of bench production, it was sorely needed.

This marks the first time  New York has held a lead in a second-round series since 2000. Based on what we witnessed in the opener, the outcome in Game 2 will be decided in the final few possessions as well.

Now that we have set the stage for this Game 2 showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both sides.

The Spread

Following their four-point win in the series opener, the Knicks are a 4.5-point favorite in Game 2 (per BleacherNation.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Pacers are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
• Indiana is 4-1 ATS in their last five contests against New York.
• In their last five matchups against Atlantic Division opponents, the Pacers are 4-1 against the spread.
• The Knicks are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games.
• New York is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 May games.
• In their last 18 Wednesday night games, the Knicks are 12-5-1 against the spread.
• New York is 18-14-1 ATS when favored to win by 4.5 points or more, while Indiana is 15-7-2 when it is an underdog of 4.5 points or more.

Prediction: Indiana Pacers (+4.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 221 points, but the line total has climbed to 222.5 points (per Pre-Game.com). Here is why going with the “over” is the smart choice.

• The total has gone OVER five times in the Pacers’ last six outings.
• The OVER total has come out on top nine times in Indiana’s last 11  matchups against Eastern Conference opponents.
• In the Pacers’ last seven contests,  the OVER total prevailed all seven times.
•  The total has gone OVER 16 times in the Knicks’ last 19 games.
•  The OVER total is 10-2 in New York’s last 12 matchups against Eastern Conference teams.

Prediction: OVER 222.5 points

Player Prop Bet

On the heels of another 40-point performance, Brunson is the key player to watch in this matchup. He currently has +100 odds of scoring more than 37.5 points and -120 odds of finishing with less than 37.5 points.

Here is a look at how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup.

• Brunson is averaging 29.4 points per contest during the regular season and playoffs.
• In four games against the Pacers this season, Brunson has averaged 37.5 points per contest.
• During the playoffs, he is averaging 36.6 points per outing.
• Brunson has played against Eastern Conference teams 57 times this season (including the playoffs). In those contests, he is averaging 29.6 points per outing.
• The Knicks’ All-Star guard averages 33.4 points per game in 19 matchups against Central Division opponents,
• Over his last 10 outings, Brunson has averaged 36.5 points and 8.2 assists per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup seven times during that stretch.

Prediction: Jalen Brunson OVER 37.5 points