The Knicks are looking to keep their season alive in Indiana as they trail the Pacers 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is a breakdown of the public betting splits and the most popular player prop bets for the highly anticipated matchup.
New York is a four-point underdog against Indiana on DraftKings Sportsbook, with a total of 221.5 points.
Betting Splits
The Knicks had their backs against the wall, down 3-1 heading into Game 5 in New York. The public was all over Indiana, based on the bet percentage, to close it out against New York. However, the Knicks turned in one of their best performances of the postseason to keep their season alive. They were efficient on offense and shut the Pacers down on the other end of the floor. If the Knicks replicate that performance, they have a great chance to force a Game 7. However, the Pacers have been fantastic at home this season and will hope to bounce back strong to close out the series in Indiana.
Despite the Knicks’ great performance in Game 5, the public still trusts Indiana to close things out at home. The Pacers are receiving 63% of the bets, and unlike in Game 5, bigger bettors are not fading the public and taking New York. The handle percentage is also at 63% for the spread. The moneyline bets are more evenly split between the two sides. The Knicks are receiving 47% of the moneyline bets and 53% of the moneyline handle. Bettors would rather take the plus-money moneyline than take the Knicks to cover the short spread.
When it comes to the total, the public and bigger bettors alike are heavily on the over, with 81% of the bets and 94% of the handle on the over 221.5. The public often likes to be on the over, and in this case, bigger bettors feel even stronger about the total. Instead of fading the public, bigger bettors are coming in heavy on the over.
Most Popular Player Props
Here are the most popular player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for this matchup:
- Jalen Brunson First Points Scorer (+380)
- Tyrese Haliburton First Points Scorer (+850)
- Josh Hart Triple-Double: Yes (+4500)
- Karl-Anthony Towns First Points Scorer (+600)
- Jalen Brunson 25+ Points (-360)
The first points scorer market has been the most popular prop betting market for Game 6. Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson leads the way with the most bets at odds of +380. Brunson has been sensational all postseason, and bettors are backing him to start the game strong, just like he did in Game 5. After Brunson, Haliburton is the most bet on player to score the game’s first points. It was a disappointing effort from Haliburton in Game 5, but he will almost certainly bounce back in Game 6 at home. Karl-Anthony Towns to score the first points of the game is another one of the most popular player props. Towns was aggressive getting to the rim in Game 5, and he could get a quick bucket to start the game if he brings that assertiveness into Game 6.
The public is backing two Knicks players to perform in Game 6. Bettors are taking a shot on Josh Hart to have a triple-double. Hart has been moved to the bench to change up the Knicks’ rotations, but he is still playing as many minutes as when he was a starter. Hart has turned in double-doubles in each of the past two games, and bettors are hoping he can take it one step further. Hart does have one triple-double this postseason, coming in Game 6 against Boston. On the other end of the spectrum, bettors are taking what should be an easy winner with Jalen Brunson. Bettors are taking Brunson to score 25 or more points, a feat that seems like an almost foregone conclusion at his current state of play. Brunson has scored 31+ points in four out of five games in this series and should keep it going in an elimination game.
