Bet The Pacers to Exact Revenge in Game 3, Cover vs Knicks

After not getting the rub of the green in games at Madison Square Garden, they have a chance to bridge the 2-0 gap.

NBA odds have the Pacers at -6½, so there is good market confidence.

Knicks vs Pacers Game Information

• Game: New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers
• Date/Time: May 10, 7 p.m. ET
• Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
• Knicks vs Pacers Live Stream: NBA Game Pass

Knicks vs Pacers Head-to-Head

Knicks vs Pacers Odds and Spreads

Knicks vs Pacers Betting Trends

• The Knicks are 24-18-2 ATS as the road team.
• The Knicks are 13-13-1 ATS as the road underdog.
• The Pacers are 25-12-2 ATS following a loss.
• The Pacers are 24-18-2 ATS as the home team.
• The over is 23-14-2 following a Pacers loss.

If Brunson Shows Up, the Knicks Cover

When Jalen Brunson went off the floor in the second quarter of Game 2, the Knicks allowed the Pacers to take a 10-point lead.

However, when the injured superstar returned, he turned the game in the blink of an eye. The Pacers were unable to stop his offensive brilliance, and although the Pacers took T.J. McConnell off the floor (we’ll talk about that later), Brunson was the spark they needed.

“He’s a great leader, so I think the players all have respect for that, when a guy goes out and is willing to give whatever he has, and so that says a lot about him,“ Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson.

We’re not sure if he’s going to play Game 3 based off his comments. He clearly has a foot injury, and OG Anunoby is also in doubt after leaving Game 2 and not coming back.

Winning on the road won’t be as easy for the Knicks, who lost a game in overtime to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. However, they are a gutsy team, and have much more will to win than the Pacers.

They are +6½ underdogs because they’re on the road and could be down a player or two. Our sportsbook also expects Indiana to play much better in the second half after giving up leads in the first two games.

Pacers Need Poise from Coach and Players

There was zero poise from the Pacers players and coaching staff in the Game 2 loss.

Sure, the calls weren’t going their way, but they came out of the halftime break looking ready to book their offseason holiday.

It was disappointing to see, and if you backed the Pacers +4½, you have every right to feel aggrieved. However, the worst thing we witnessed was the benching of McConnell, who was giving Brunson trouble.

There was no doubt that McConnell was the best defender on Brunson in Game 2, but they opted to sit him in the clutch, despite watching Brunson score at will.

The matchup we want to see 😤

T.J. McConnell didn’t play the last 7 mins of the 4th Quarter pic.twitter.com/mCtC89b0Wd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2024

It was one of the strangest coaching decisions we’ve seen from Rick Carlisle, who should come under fire for that decision.

Tyrese Haliburton filled the stats sheet, but he looked like a deer in headlights in the fourth quarter. He’s not yet cut out for playoff basketball, but we’re prepared to give the Pacers one more chance.

Playing at home against a hobbled Knicks team is a perfect recipe to right their wrongs. If they can’t produce the goods in this situation, the Pacers organization needs a major overhaul.

The Pacers won their only home game against the Knicks in the regular season, 140-126, which should give bettors confidence.

Pacers to Cash In on Situation

Much like they did when beating the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and for some games Damian Lillard, the Pacers can cash in on an injured Knicks outfit.

We’re not sure if they deserve to be -6½ favorites based on their second-half attitudes, but it’s the best bet for Game 3 in Indiana.

News on the status of Brunson and Anunoby will filter throughout the week, which could see the NBA lines move. Therefore, it’s best to jump on the current line, which we’re happy with.

Questions of the Day

The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.