NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 5: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Betting Pick

The Indiana Pacers will get their first opportunity to close out their series with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals with Game 5 on Thursday, May 29 at 8:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The Knicks are favored at MyBookie with a point spread at -4.5 (-120).

Indiana Pacers Betting Preview

The Pacers are now just a win away from advancing to the NBA Finals, bringing excitement to Indiana Pacers fans everywhere. They are coming off a 130-121 Game 4 victory, where their largest lead was at 15. The largest lead for the Knicks was two, which they had a few times in the first half.

Tyrese Haliburton put up a historic night, posting a triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists. In addition, he recorded this triple-double without turning the ball over and was the first ever in NBA postseason history to do so (triple-double without a turnover).

Indiana connected on 51.1 percent of their shots from the field and made 40.6 percent of their three point shots. They did a great job at keeping turnovers to a minimum, posting 11 total and only giving up nine points to the Knicks, a crucial aspect for the Indiana Pacers in their strategy. They also had better ball movement, with 29 assists compared to the Knicks’ 17.

The Pacers have been getting 119.2 points per game over their last five matchups. On defense, they are allowing 115.2 points each game from their opponents. This shows a slight margin of safety each game.

New York Knicks Betting Preview

The Knicks once again failed to convert on a close matchup with the Pacers, who seem to have the upper hand in this series against the Indiana Pacers. On paper, the stats show the Knicks just short in a few categories that would make the biggest difference (fast break points, assists, turnovers, etc) if they could win in these categories.

Jalen Brunson led the team with 31 points on 9-19 shooting and five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns had a strong double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Five players in total reached double figures in scoring.

New York made 46.3 percent of their shots and 42.9 percent from deep. They did an excellent job at getting to the foul line (33-39) but the Pacers were almost as good (27-32) so there was not much of an advantage. The Knicks also turned it over 17 times and gave up 20 points in the process.

The Knicks have produced 118.0 points a game in their last five, and have allowed 112.6 points each game in this stretch. This is a solid margin of safety, but is a bit inflated since they defeated the Celtics with a 119-81 blowout in Game 6 of that series.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie showcases the best Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks betting odds, with the Knicks as 4.5-point favorites. Market predictions suggest the Pacers have a 54.2 percent chance of winning. The Knicks have a good shot to win here, but the Pacers are appealing to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Indiana Pacers +4.5 (+100)