Fast Start: Knicks Get Early Edge on Pacers with Game 1 Win

Indiana’s series victory over Milwaukee was the franchise’s first in a decade, and it’s looking to advance to the conference finals for the first time since back-to-back losses to the Miami Heat in 2013 and 2014.

These teams finished within three games of each other in the regular season, so this should be a tight series. Look at our NBA betting preview for Game 1 to help you determine how to make your wagers.

Pacers vs Knicks Game Information

• Game: Pacers vs Knicks
• Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Day Game: Monday, May 6
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Pacers vs Knicks Live Stream: NBA Game Pass

Indiana had the upper hand between these clubs in the regular season, winning two of three matchups, including a victory in February at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers came out on top in their last playoff matchup with the Knicks, winning in six games in the 2013 conference semifinal round.

The NBA odds for Game 1 of this series favor the host Knicks, as they’re giving six points to the Pacers. The moneyline will get you New York at -230 odds, while Indiana is available at +190 for a straight-up win.

The over/under for this contest has been set at 218 points, with -110 odds available for each side of that wager.

Pacers vs Knicks Head-to-Head

Pacers vs Knicks Odds and Spreads

Pacers vs Knicks Betting Trends

• Indiana is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games played in May.
• New York is 1-4 ATS in its last five games playing as a favorite.
• The total has gone over in nine of the Pacers’ last 11 games.
• The total has gone under in 13 of the Knicks’ last 18 games when playing at home against Indiana.
• New York is 22-21-1 ATS when playing at home this season.

Pacers Look For Better Start To Series

Indiana took down the higher-seeded Bucks in their first-round series despite falling behind 1-0 in one of its worst offensive showings of the season. The Pacers are hoping to avoid that same scenario in this series.

For the first time this season, Indiana was held under 100 points in Game 1 of its opening-round series, losing 109-94. In fact, the Pacers’ only other time being held under 100 points this season came in a 115-92 loss in Game 5 of the series.

New York is known for its defense, finishing second in the league in the regular season by allowing 108.2 points per contest. The Pacers led the NBA in scoring in the regular season, averaging 123.3 points, and Indiana needs that kind of output if it hopes to pull the upset in Game 1 of this series.

Multiple players came up big offensively for the team in the first round, including former Knicks draft pick Obi Toppin, who notched a career-high 21 points in the series-clinching Game 6 win. Toppin would love to get a little revenge against his former club, which he spent three seasons with before coming to the Pacers in the offseason.

“T.J. (McConnell) actually helped me today, told me to be aggressive, told me to be myself,” Toppin said after the Game 6 victory. “Everybody did their jobs today, from the starters to the bench, everybody had a good game.”

Guard Tyrese Haliburton was the team’s scoring leader in the regular season but has focused more on getting his teammates involved in the postseason. He had 17 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in the Game 6 win and is averaging 16.0 points and 9.3 assists in the playoffs.

Another major scoring threat for the Pacers is forward Pascal Siakam, who came to the team in a midseason trade with Toronto. Siakam got Indiana off to a good start in the series with the Bucks by averaging 22.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, both up from his regular-season averages. He had 36 and 37 points in Games 1 and 2 of the series, so he’ll look to make that kind of impact in Monday’s series opener as well.

Brunson Leads Knicks Attack

While the Pacers had a few different players lead the offensive charge against the Bucks, New York relies on All-Star guard Jalen Brunson almost exclusively to be the leader on offense. He’s done a great job in the role, leading the league in playoff scoring at 35.5 points per game. Brunson is also fourth in postseason assists per game, dishing out 9.0 per contest.

But the Knicks need others to get involved to help Brunson with the defensive attention he’s sure to get from the Pacers. Backcourt mates Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart can both get going from 3-point range, but when they struggle, it puts more of a burden on Brunson.

Hart came up big in the Game 6 clincher against the Philadelphia 76ers, hitting a 3-pointer in the final minute – off an assist from Brunson – that put the Knicks up for good. It was redemption for Hart, whose missed free throw in the final seconds in Game 5 allowed Philadelphia to send the game to overtime with a 3-pointer, a contest the Knicks would ultimately lose.

“I felt that loss is on my shoulders,” Hart said after the Game 6 win. “I had a day-and-a-half to think about that. That’s really all I thought about.”

Hart has been strong going to the boards in the postseason, helping the smaller Knicks stay with opponents on the glass. Hart is averaging 12.3 rebounds per game in postseason play, and he’ll need to keep up that tenaciousness against a big Pacers front line.

Defense is always key for a Tom Thibodeau-coached team, and the Knicks are no exception. They must be able to slow down the Pacers’ fast-paced offense and guard the 3-point line well, or Indiana will run them out of Madison Square Garden.

Knicks Take Exciting Game 1 Victory

Both teams are coming off exciting first-round wins, but it was the Knicks that dealt with more close games in their opening series. New York is the mentally-tougher team and has more experience in the postseason, having been in this same position last season.

This won’t be a low-scoring contest, but we like New York to come away with enough stops on the defensive end to be able to win and cover in Game 1. Your NBA picks should include the over in the series opener, which will be won by the Knicks, covering the six-point spread.

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