The Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers got off to as thrilling a start as one could script. The Pacers completed a 17-point comeback victory in overtime, complete with a Tyrese Haliburton choking celebration, and became the first team in 1,415 attempts to produce a victory after trailing by nine or more points in the final minute of a playoff victory.
Indiana will now carry this 1-0 series victory into tonight’s matchup, also taking place in Madison Square Garden. The surprising victory shifted the series odds with the Pacers now -165 favorites to win the series on DraftKings Sportsbook. New York holds +140 odds of overcoming the deficit and advancing to the NBA Finals.
The Knicks are six-point favorites and hold -258 odds on the moneyline for the Game 2 matchup. The Pacers hold +210 odds of getting the outright victory with the over/under set at 224.5.
Looking at the bets placed on DraftKings Sportsbook, it is an interesting mix.
Pacers vs. Knicks Betting Splits:
63% of the bets and 70% of the betting handle on DraftKings Sportsbook are backing the Knicks on the moneyline to even up the series 1-1 at home tonight. This leaves 37% of the bets and 30% of the betting handle backing the Pacers to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. Teams have only been able to climb out of a 2-0 series hole at a 7.3% rate across the 465 postseason matchups where this has occurred in NBA history, so it is an important contest for New York.
Looking at the spread, 47% of the bets and 60% of the betting handle are backing the Knicks to cover the six-point margin. This leaves 53% of the bets but just 40% of the betting handle backing Indiana to cover.
There is an even larger discrepancy in the game total. 79% of the bets and 72% of the betting handle are backing the game to go over the 224.5 total, leaving just 21% of the bets and 28% of the betting handle on the under. The final score of Game 1 was 138-135 in favor of the Pacers, and it should be noted that there were 250 points scored in regulation.
You can check back for updated betting splits on DraftKings Sportsbook here, with late money always a possibility.
Most Popular Player Props:
Here are the most popular player props for the Knicks vs. Pacers Game 2 matchup:
- Bennedict Mathurin Under 13.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-120)
- Karl-Anthony Towns Over 23.5 Points (-120)
- Jalen Brunson to Score 30+ Points (-125)
- Jalen Brunson 1st Point Scorer (+425)
- Karl-Anthony Towns 1st Point Scorer (+500)
- Pascal Siakam 1st Point Scorer (+650)
- Josh Hart to Record a Triple-Double (+1400)
- Tyrese Haliburton 1st Point Scorer (+950)
- Karl-Anthony Towns to Record 25+ Points (+100)
- Jalen Brunson to Record 25+ Points (-350)
Looking at the futures market, 11% of bets placed and 17% of the betting handle on DraftKings Sportsbook are backing the New York Knicks to win the Eastern Conference. 7% of the bets and 8% of the betting handle are also backing New York to win the NBA Championship.
The Pacers are making up 5% of the bets and 11% of the betting handle for Eastern Conference futures betters. Just 2% of the bets and 3% of the betting handle are currently backing Indiana to win the NBA Championship.
