New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Expert Pick And Predictions – May 17, 2024

NEW YORK KNICKS VS. INDIANA PACERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS—MAY 17, 2024—Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA playoff coverage here at Godzilla Wins. The lone game on today’s slate features the New York Knicks (57-36 SU, 50-42-1 ATS) traveling on the road to take on the Indiana Pacers (53-41 SU, 49-42-3 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into Game 6 and why.

Tipoff

When: Friday, May 17, 2024 @ 8:30 PM ET

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

TV: ESPN

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

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

Can The Pacers Bounce Back From Dismal Showing In Game 6?

After dropping the first two games of the series in New York, the Pacers held serve, winning both games on their home floor.  This included a 121-89 dismantling of the Knicks in Game 4. Unfortunately for Indiana, that trend did not carry over to Game 5. Simply put, the Pacers got waxed to the tune of 121-91 and are now on the brink of elimination.

Pascal Siakam scored a team-high 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting to go along with eight rebounds.

Myles Turner added 16 points on 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and five rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton, who had averaged 29.7 points per contest over the past three games, scored just 13 points. Indiana’s All-Star guard felt his team did not handle adversity very well in the blowout loss.

“When things are going bad, we just have to do a better job of coming better together as a group,” Haliburton said after the game. “I felt we were a little frenzied (in Game 5). … That starts with me as a leader.”

The bad news is that the Pacers are facing elimination for the first time this postseason. The good news is that they are 5-0 at home in the playoffs, including a five-point and 32-point win in Games 3 and 4 of this series. If the last two games are any indication, this one could be yet another blowout for the home team.

Can The Knicks Punch Their Ticket To The Eastern Conference Finals?

Meanwhile, after dropping a pair of games in Indiana, the Knicks returned to Madison Square Garden and gave their home crowd much to cheer about. They led by a 15-point advantage at the break, and their solid play continued in the second half. Jalen Brunson — who finished fifth in MVP voting — led the charge with 44 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. This marked his fifth 40-point outing of the playoffs, including two games in this series.

Josh Hart added 18 points and nine rebounds, while Miles McBride contributed 17 points and four assists. New York dominated multiple facets of Game 5. They outrebounded the Pacers by a 53-29 margin, including a 20-5 advantage on the offensive boards, which led to 26 second-chance points. Additionally, the Knicks enjoyed a 62-38 edge in points in the paint. Needless to say, head coach Rick Carlisle was not pleased with his team’s performance.

“If we don’t get stops and rebounds, our game is not going to look good,” Carlisle said via CBS Sports. “We’re not going to be able to get the ball out, all of our playmakers aren’t going to have opportunities to get the ball and attack. If you take the ball out of the net, particularly after free throws and offensive rebounds, you’re climbing an uphill battle.”

New York is coming off a dominant victory, while the Pacers have been a formidable opponent on their home floor. What trends will unfold as these teams prepare to do battle on Friday night?

Now that we have set the stage for this Game 6 showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both sides.

The Spread

Despite losing by 30 points in Game 5, the Pacers are a 5.5-point favorite in Game 6 (per BleacherNation.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Knicks are 4-2  ATS in their last six contests.
• New York is 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games.
• The Knicks are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight May games.
• The Pacers are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 Friday night home games.

Prediction: New York Knicks (+5.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 217.5 points, but the line total has dipped to 215.5 points (per Pre-Game.com). Here is why going with the “over” is the smart choice.

• The total has gone OVER 14 times in the Knicks’  last 20 outings.
• The OVER total is 11-5 in the Pacers’ last 16 contests.
• The total has gone OVER 10 times in Indiana’s last 15 matchups against Eastern Conference opponents.
• In the Pacers’ last 11 May games, the OVER total cashed in eight times.

Prediction: OVER 215.5 points

Player Prop Bet

On the heels of his second 40-point performance of this series, Jalen Brunson is the key player to watch in this matchup. He currently has -112 odds of scoring more than 34.5 points and -108 odds of finishing with less than 34.5 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 eight games against the Pacers this season, Brunson has averaged 33.4 points per contest.
• During the playoffs, he is averaging 28.7 points per outing.
• Brunson has played against Eastern Conference teams 50 times this season (including the playoffs). In those contests, he is averaging 28.6 points per outing.
• The Knicks’ point guard averages 32.9 points per game in 18 matchups against Central Division opponents,
• Over his last 10 outings, Brunson has averaged 35.1 points and 7.6 assists per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup six times during that stretch.

Prediction: Jalen Brunson OVER 34.5 points