Why take the spread when the betting analytics support "going big"? Teams on the road as less than five-point underdog in the first quarter of the season (first 21 games) who cover are also 903-62 straight up (93%), per Action Network.

The Pacers got the upper hand in this series in the postseason, and while New York's season-opening loss and home-court advantage would make one believe it's due for a bounce-back win, I'm not convinced NY will cover. I'll take the value on the ML this early in the season when there is no "norm" to base your picks off of.