The Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 against the New York Knicks with a thrilling comeback. OG Anunoby and the rest of the Knicks will need to lean on their resilience once again after blowing the 17-point lead and becoming the first team in 1,415 attempts to lose after leading by nine or more points in the final minute of a playoff game.
New York should feel pretty great about how the first 44 minutes of Game 1 went. But the failure to execute down the stretch hurt them, and this loss will surely serve as a reminder to never take your foot off the gas. Anunoby was a key part of the matchup, playing 42 minutes and finishing with 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals, and three blocks in the losing effort.
Heading into Game 2, the Knicks are six-point favorites with -258 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pacers hold +210 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 224.5 points.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Anunoby prop bets for Game 2.
Best OG Anunoby Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
OG Anunoby’s props are listed at over/under 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 made three-pointers and 23.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
OG Anunoby Over 2.5 Steals & Blocks (+114)
While OG Anunoby deserves a ton of credit for his development on the offensive end as his NBA career has progressed, he remains a defense-first player. His impact was felt in a major way in Game 1. Anunoby primarily matched up with his former teammate Pascal Siakam and had great success. Across 48.8 partial possessions against Anunoby, the Pacers star shot 1-for-5 from the floor. Anunoby also held Siakam to 5-for-14 across 71.1 partial possessions in the regular season, with Siakam shooting just 31% against him collectively.
Beyond just limiting opponents, Anunoby has been incredibly successful at helping generate turnovers. The former steals champion averaged 1.5 steals per game across the regular season in addition to 0.9 blocks per game. He tallied 29 games with over 1.5 combined steals and blocks in the regular season. So far this postseason, Anunoby is averaging 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He has tallied over 2.5 combined steals and blocks in six of the 13 postseason games.
Indiana plays a team-oriented style of basketball with multiple players capable of stepping up on any given night, but the increased movement and passing opportunities also give Anunoby plenty of chances to serve as a disruptor. He tallied three steals and three blocks in the opening matchup, with his impact being felt all over the place defensively. Expect more of the same tonight and for Anunoby to lead the defensive charge for New York. I am backing him to tally over 2.5 combined steals and blocks for the seventh time in these playoffs and the second consecutive matchup with the Pacers.
OG Anunoby to Record 3+ Made Three-Pointers (+155)
Anunoby deserves his credit on the defensive end, but he is far from a zero offensively. The Indiana product averaged a career-high 18.0 points per game across the regular season, shooting 37.2% from beyond the three-point arc on 6.2 long-range shots per game. This is slightly below the 37.5% rate he has connected from deep throughout his career and the 39.4% rate he shot from the perimeter last season with the Knicks.
So far in the postseason, Anunoby is averaging 15.8 points per game and shooting 35.2% from deep on 6.8 perimeter shots per game. He went 2-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc in Game 1, which was tied with Karl-Anthony Towns for the most long-range shots on the team. While the 25% rate he connected isn’t ideal, the amount of volume is encouraging.
The standard three-point prop for Anunoby is set at 1.5 made three-pointers, with the over favored at -188 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. He has reached this tally in 50 of the 74 regular-season games he played and made three or more perimeter shots in 32 of these. Anunoby also has connected on three or more three-pointers in seven of the 13 playoff games thus far.
Jalen Brunson will be at the top of the Pacers’ defensive priority list and will likely see an increase in double-teams following his 43-point eruption in Game 1. Expect Anunoby to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this and be comfortable capitalizing on corner three looks whenever they present themselves. If he sees the same amount of volume he saw in Game 1, feel confident in Anunoby connecting at a greater rate. I am backing the 27-year-old to punish this Pacers defense and knock down at least three three-pointers tonight at +155 odds.
