The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks will play in an Eastern Conference matchup on Monday evening. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pacers-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Knicks and Pacers will meet on Monday with each team jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference standings. New York comes in searching for a win desperately after losing three of their last four games. The Pacers on the flip side have won three of their last four games, and will be looking to stay hot in Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The Knicks come into Monday's matchup as favorites over the Pacers, so they may be in a good spot to get back into the win column. Indiana is just 2-6 on the road this season, but they did give the Utah Jazz their first home loss of the season last week in what was an upset win for the Pacers.
Here are the Pacers-Knicks odds for this Monday NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Knicks Odds
Indiana Pacers +3.5 (-112)
New York Knicks -3.5 (-108)
Over 212.5 points (-110)
Under 212.5 points (-110)
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Article Continues BelowWhy The Pacers Can Cover The Spread
Indiana has won five of their last seven after really struggling out of the gates this season. Over their last seven games, the Pacers have a +4.7 net rating, eight best in the NBA. Their 113.8 offensive rating over the 5-2 stretch ranks second behind only the Golden State Warriors. Malcolm Brogdon is getting more comfortable running Rick Carlisle's offense, and the results have been very good. The Pacers could be a sneaky play as an underdog vs. a struggling Knicks team on Monday night. The Pacers beat the Knicks 111-98 on Nov. 3, and in that game Myles Turner had 25 points and 13 rebounds. If New York cannot do a better job of containing the Indiana big men on Monday, the Pacers may be in store for another cover and win over the Knicks.
Why The Knicks Can Cover The Spread
The Knicks are looking to find themselves a bit with this rough skid of late. New York has not been able to replicate their defensive performance from last season, when they were one of the best defenses in the NBA. This season, the Knicks have a 109.7 defensive rating that ranks 25th in the NBA. They are much improved offensively however, as their 110 offensive rating is fifth best in the league so far this season. Overall, the +0.3 net rating leaves the Knicks as an average team through 13 games, as evidenced by their 7-6 record. New York has the potential to be a playoff team in the East again this season, but they will need to fix their defensive issues if they want to avoid the play-in. All things considered, the Knicks are a bit of a risky bet as favorites over a hot Pacers team on Monday night.
Final Pacers-Knicks Prediction & Pick
Take the Pacers and the points on Monday night in the Garden. The over is also appealing, as each team has been better offensively than defensively so far this season.
FINAL PACERS-KNICKS PREDICTION & PICK: Pacers +3.5 (-112), Over 212.5 (-110)