The New York Knicks (23-33), who are currently on a five-game skid, look to get back in the win column when they travel to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to clash with the Indiana Pacers (31-25). Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 11, 2018, and it can be seen on MSG Network.
New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Odds Preview
The last time the Knicks played, they lost big to the Toronto Raptors, 113-88. Michael Beasley put together a solid performance for New York, leading both teams in scoring with 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Toronto had a turnover percentage of 7.3 (better than their season average of 11.7). New York, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of making free throws (15-18; 83.3 percent).
The Pacers will look to maintain momentum after beating the Boston Celtics in their last matchup, 97-91. With 35 points on 15-for-29 shooting, Victor Oladipo was the top scorer from either team. Indiana played a nearly flawless game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 33.3 (above their season average of 21.3) and a free throw rate of 0.217 (above their season average of 0.176). For those same stats, Boston put up marks of 23.1 and 0.180, respectively.
Indiana figures to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Pacers rank sixth in offensive efficiency, while the Knicks rank 16th in defensive efficiency. Moreover, the Knicks are among the NBA’s best on the offensive backboards, ranking fifth in offensive rebounding percentage (24.5 percent). The Pacers, meanwhile, rank 28th in defensive rebounding percentage (75.9 percent).
Of New York’s 56 games, 28 have finished under the O/U total, while 31 of Indiana’s 56 games have finished under the O/U total. The Pacers have the sizable advantage straight up (SU) (31-25 vs. 23-33) and a slight edge against the spread (ATS) (30-26 vs. 28-28).
Bojan Bogdanovic has been playing at a high level over the last five games for Indiana, averaging 17.4 points and 1.4 steals per game.
These two teams have already met twice this year, each winning once. In the most recent game, Darren Collison recorded 10 points and 10 assists and the Pacers defeated the Knicks 115-97, covering as 11-point favorites. The two teams combined to score 212 points, hitting the projected point total. The Pacers dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a superb effective field goal percentage of 0.599 and a free throw rate of 0.140. For those same stats, the Knicks put up marks of 0.473 and 0.121, respectively.
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers Betting Prediction
Free NBA Tip: SU Winner – Pacers, ATS Winner – Pacers, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Pacers rank fifth in points off turnovers per game (18.1) while the Knicks rank 24th in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.8).
- New York averages 44.4 rebounds per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. Indiana ranks 15th in rebounds allowed per game (42.8).
- New York ranks fifth in points allowed in the paint per game (41.8) while Indiana ranks 21st (45.8).
- New York averages 22.9 assists per game, which ranks 12th in the league. Indiana ranks 17th in assists allowed per game (23.1).
- On the road, New York is 12-17 ATS with 15 overs, 13 unders and 1 push.
- At home, Indiana is 16-14 ATS with 17 unders, 12 overs and 1 push.
- When holding opponents below 100 points, New York is 11-3 and Indiana is 18-2.
- When scoring more than 100 points, the Knicks are 22-16 and the Pacers are 26-12.
- The Knicks rank sixth in second chance points per game (13.5) while the Pacers rank 20th in second chance points allowed per game (13.0).
- Indiana ranks third in fast break points per game (15.0) while New York ranks 29th (7.3).
- The Pacers rank eighth in steals per game (8.3) while the Knicks rank 29th (6.8).
- Neither of these teams shoot many threes. The Pacers are 25th in the NBA with 24.8 three pointers per game while the Knicks are last with 21.9 threes per game.
- New York ranks fourth in blocks per game (5.4) while Indiana ranks 23rd (4.2).
Betting Trends:
- Indiana is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, New York is 1-4 ATS with 5 unders.
- The Pacers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.4, down from 1.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Knicks have scored an average of 87.2 points per game (16.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 102.0 points per game (3.6 below their season average).
