The New York Knicks will be picking confetti out of their shoes on the way to Indiana. After coming out triumphant in the NBA Cup Final on Tuesday night, the Knicks return to the slog of the regular season, starting with Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.
New York is a -4.5 road favorite on the DraftKings Sportsbook. If you think the Pacers can pull the upset, their moneyline is priced at +142. The total for this game is set at 224.5 points. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and the best pick for this Knicks-Pacers matchup.
Knicks vs. Pacers preview, prediction
First things first, we have to talk about the injury report. That could carry significant weight in this game.
Indiana’s injury report needs no introduction. Tyrese Haliburton is slated to spend the remainder of the season in street clothes. He’s joined by Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith, two of Indiana’s key rotation pieces, on the sidelines. These injuries have halted Indiana’s season before it even had a chance to get off the ground.
But the Knicks may match them in key absences tomorrow. After their taxing Cup run, some rest was expected. That’s why Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson are all listed as questionable for tomorrow. New York starts a road back-to-back on Thursday, with the second game in Philadelphia on Friday night. The assumption is that New York will sit those four, hoping that Jalen Brunson and the remainder of the rotation can dispatch this beat-up Pacers team before going into a more challenging game against Philly.
It’s not a bad gamble. Indiana is struggling for a reason; their offense is dead last in points per 100 possessions, while the defense is 23rd. New York has been elite this season, but can they take down the Pacers without half of their rotation?
Knicks vs. Pacers pick, best bet
If Jalen Brunson plays, his greatness will carry them. Indiana has good perimeter defenders, led by Andrew Nembhard, but it’s the interior defense that undoes them. They allow the second-highest free-throw rate in the entire NBA. Against one of the best foul drawers in the league, that’s going to be a significant factor.
The prospect of New York’s absences has changed the line drastically, but New York’s depth will win out here alongside Brunson. It’ll be a small measure of revenge for last year’s ECF.
