These two teams have a long history together and during the season, Indiana beat the Knicks two out of three games by a double digit margin. The game they lost was only by 4 points. Some will argue that Anunoby was not playing in those wins and now with him in the lineup they are practically undefeated. In some of the Pacers wins, they did not have Siakam yet in the lineup either. However, with all that being said, the Pacers can hold their own against the Knicks, a New York team that will play their first seven for almost the full game in the playoffs, pushing them in every game. At some point, the exhaustion and fatigue, and possibly injuries will catch up with New York. The Knicks were great on the boards against the 76’s but in that series, the Pacers did a good job defending the glass against the Bucks. The Knicks defend the interior better than the 3 point line which is an area Indiana can exploit. The Pacers have played better defense in the playoffs and they defend the 3 point line well. Their bench has been able to contribute with offensive points with players like Obi Toppin, Turner, and Sheppard as well, and at this point, they have better bench depth than New York. The Pacers like to play at a fast pace and will want to run and gun, but they have to figure out how to contain Brunson. The Knicks defense has been better with the addition of players like Anunoby as said previously, probably one of the best along with the Timberwolves, but the Pacers have Siakam and Haliburton who should get their points in this matchup. The Pacers offense is going to negate a lot of the Knicks defense. The Pacers were able to hold their own in a physical series with the Bucks and they should be able to hang in this game against the Knicks and not be a pushover. The Knicks are 2-6 against the spread this season and 2-11 against the spread in the last three seasons off a road win against a division rival. Now they are at home and this could be a bit of a let down spot as they are 0-5 against the spread in the last three seasons off a close win by 3 points or less over a division rival and they are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games when favored. The Pacers have shown that they can go into New York and get a win during the regular season. The oddsmakers are giving bettors 6 points in this matchup and there is value with the underdog.

Best bet: take the points with Indiana.