Hoo boy. One look at the latest news, stats, and injury reports and we’ll see why the NBA betting odds between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are all over the place. But between these shorthanded teams, this is a “dog or pass” scenario as laying chalk on either is quite an unattractive notion.
Undermanned Pacers Free-Falling
When Rick Carlisle took over Indiana, the Pacers were supposed to “get their mojo back.” But it’s been the opposite effect as Indiana now appears headed to the lottery and has made mentions of blowing up the team.
Whatever the case, Indiana has lost four straight and is 2-7 in its last nine games. It has one of the worst road records in the NBA at 3-14 (7-10 against the spread) and that’s due to a dysfunctional offense. The Pacers are 23rd in offensive rating and 21st in effective field goal percent (EFG%). And their defense stinks.
To exacerbate their situation, several key players are in COVID protocol, including lead guard Malcolm Brogdon and star swingman Caris LeVert. The already-hobbled Pacers will be even worse.
Knicks Desperate to Get Healthy
Indiana isn’t the only team that’s regressed. The Knicks have reverted back to being a losing team thanks to a middling defense paired with a still-pedestrian offense. COVID has not helped as their main guy, Julius Randle has been out along with Derrick Rose (ankle).
Welcome the Knicks newest addition, Denzel Valentine pic.twitter.com/ghMVbkxjSX
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 3, 2022
The Knicks announced on Tuesday afternoon that Randle, who missed the past two games, has cleared health and safety protocols and is listed as questionable to face the Pacers.
New York has been so desperate for help it traded for Denzel Valentine. Even if Valentine does produce, the Knicks will still find it difficult to get consistent offense and their brutal home record, 7-11 (6-12 ATS) only helps to grow the angst of the Knicks faithful.
The Knicks bottomed out against the Oklahoma City Thunder, scoring just 80 points, and then when it got some offense going, it still got handled by the Toronto Raptors. Regardless of who the Knicks face at home, it’s tough betting online on them.
Pacers vs Knicks Head to Head
| Indiana | Stat | New York |
| 6-4 | Record | 4-6 |
| 4-6-0 | Point Spread | 6-4-0 |
| 3-7-0 | Over/Under | 3-7-0 |
| 104.50 | Average Score | 100.60 |
| 55.30 | Half Time | 53.10 |
Pacers vs Knicks Game Information
- Date: Tuesday
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Madison Square Garden
- Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Pacers vs Knicks Betting Lines
| Indiana | New York | |
| +120 | Moneyline | -140 |
| 43.80% | Implied Probability | 56.20% |
| +2½
(-110) |
Point Spread | -2½
(-110) |
| 207
(-110o) |
Total | 207
(-110u) |
Pacers vs Knicks Prediction
We’re between two bad teams here, one with an atrocious road record and the other, which is terrible at home. But we’ll go with the advanced analytics and side with the Pacers here. Indiana’s expected win-loss actually puts them at 19-18 thanks to having a 1-9 record in three-point games.
Plenty of that is due to the Pacers being discombobulated and the other is just bad luck. At any rate, the Knicks can’t be trusted either. They are shooting just 43.3 percent at home and are 25th in offensive rating. Bet on the underdogs or just pass from the sportsbook.
Pick: Indiana Pacers +2½
With two wonky offenses, it’s no wonder that the under has hit in 11 of the Pacers’ 17 road games and 10 of New York’s 18. We don’t see any good reason to go against this trend even if the totals are quite low.
