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The Indiana Pacers are on the road to take on the New York Knicks on Friday night. This game will continue our NBA odds series with a Pacers-Knicks prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Here are the Pacers-Knicks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Knicks Odds
Indiana Pacers: +4.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +176
New York Knicks: -4.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -210
Over: 225.5 (-110)
Under: 225.5 (-110)
How To Watch Pacers vs Knicks
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Pacers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Pacers need Tyrese Haliburton to play better in this game. Haliburton shot 6-18 from the field and 1-9 from three in the opener, and recorded just five rebounds and four assists. All those numbers are below average in his books. Last season, Haliburton averaged 20.1 points and 10.9 assists. He can make plays for himself, but he can also create plays for his teammates. If Haliburton can shoot the ball better, and record a few more assists, the Pacers will win this game.
Despite Haliburton's poor shooting, the Pacers still shot over 50 percent from the field. Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner both had good games. Siakam flirted with a triple-double while Turner had 20 points and nine rebounds. With these two plus Haliburton, the Pacers will be able to put up a bunch of points in this game.
The Knicks did not play good defense in the opener. More specifically, New York could not close out on the perimeter, and they allowed plenty of wide-open threes. In fact, the Knicks were one three away from allowing the NBA record. Now, I would not expect the Pacers to make 29 threes, but a good shooting night is definitely possible. If the Pacers hit their shots, they will win.
Why the Knicks Could Cover the Spread/Win
New York, as mentioned, did not play the best defense. However, the Pacers will not make 29 threes against the Knicks in this game. In fact, I do not expect the Pacers to make more than 20 threes. In their opener, Indiana shot just 31 threes. Expect something around the same in this game. With the Pacers not making the threes, the Knicks will have a much better chance to win this game.
One thing the Knicks did really well on Tuesday was stay out of foul trouble. It helps that the Celtics took mostly threes, but when they went into the paint, the Knicks were able to keep their hands clean. The Pacers are going to put a lot more pressure on the Knicks in the paint. As long as New York can stay out of foul trouble, they will be able to win this game.
The Knicks took just 78 shots in the loss Tuesday. They were able to shoot 55.1 percent on those shots, though. However, New York has to take some more shots in this game. They can not afford to get outshot by 20 on Friday night. If the Knicks can keep up with the pace of the Pacers, they will have a chance to win this game.
Final Pacers-Knicks Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a great game. Neither team played up to their potential in game one of the season. I think the Pacers will be able to play much better Friday. They might not win, but they should keep it within five points. I am going to take the Pacers to cover the spread.
Final Pacers-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Pacers +4.5 (-112)
