NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (Pacers vs. Knicks)
After a full week of rest, the Indiana Pacers will take on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Pacers and Knicks battled in seven games during last year’s playoffs. The Pacers escaped in Game 7, but that series was super tight throughout. During that series, the Knicks didn’t have Julius Randle and played games without Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby.
Of course, the Knicks have Karl-Anthony Towns in Randle’s place and have a much healthier team heading into this series. Will that be the difference?
I’ve added my best NBA bet for tonight’s ECF Game 1 and shared it below.
Wednesday’s Best NBA Playoffs Bets: Pacers vs. Knicks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Picks & Predictions
The Indiana Pacers have scored 119.5 points per 100 possessions in the NBA Playoffs, good for second in the NBA. Ultimately, they’ve shot an effective field goal percentage of 59.1% and have only turned the ball over 12.6% of the time. The Pacers are difficult to stop. Even the Cleveland Cavaliers looked puzzled, and they had been one of the best defenses in the NBA this season.
In addition, the Knicks have allowed 30.1% of offensive rebounds and a 22.6 free-throw rate on defense. The Pacers will need to take advantage of those two areas. However, Indiana has gained below 20% of offensive rebounds during the NBA Playoffs. That likely has to do with having a super high effective field goal percentage. But still, the Knicks have limited teams to a 52% effective field goal percentage in the playoffs and should be able to keep the Pacers below that playoff average.
If the Pacers can’t get second chances off misses, winning this game and the series will become increasingly difficult.
On the other hand, the Knicks have shot an effective field goal percentage of 51.3%, which is way worse than the Pacers’. Ultimately, the Knicks will need to do everything else very well. They’ve grabbed nearly 31% of offensive rebounds and have a higher free-throw rate on offense. That said, the Knicks have still turned the ball over more and figure to lose the turnover battle throughout this series.
Even at home, it’s hard to trust the Knicks, who are shooting so much worse than the Pacers. If the Pacers continue to shoot better and add more turnovers, they’ll stick around in this game. I’ll take my chances with the Pacers at +4.5 (-110).
Pick: Pacers +4.5 (-110)