The New York Knicks look to avenge last year’s postseason loss against the Indiana Pacers when the longtime rivals meet in the Eastern Conference finals.
The pregame narrative: New York is favoured to win this series, and Game 1, after besting the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games. Offseason acquisitions Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges add a new complexion to this matchup.
Check out my Pacers vs. Knicks SGP predictions for Game 1 on May 20, featuring Towns and Andrew Nembhard.
Pacers vs. Knicks predictions
Parlay: Pacers +10.5 | Nembhard 6+ assists | Towns 20+ points (+290)
Pacers +10.5 (-335): I would be shocked if the Knicks authored a blowout on Wednesday.
Rick Carlisle’s team has been a pain to play against on the road all season. The Pacers are 16-10 ATS as road underdogs, losing those games by an average of just 0.2 points.
- New York is 2-10 vs. a -10.5 line this postseason. Five of its eight playoff wins have been by three or fewer points.
- Indiana is 8-2 vs. a +10.5 line this postseason. It owns a +5.9 net rating on the road, which is third-best among all playoff teams.
And while the Knicks are in the conference finals, it’s fair to ask if they’re lucky to be here. They scraped by the Detroit Pistons with a trio of nail-biting wins before besting the Boston Celtics, who lost Jayson Tatum to an Achilles tear in Game 4.
Indiana, meanwhile, made light work of the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers after putting away the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks in five.
NBA SGP legs
Nembhard 6+ assists (+112): Tyrese Haliburton gets a lot of shine as Indiana’s floor general, but his backcourt partner has been an integral part of the team’s success, too.
Take a look at what Nembhard has done this postseason:
- 14.6 PPG
- 50.5 FG%
- 50.0 3PT%
- 6.0 APG
The Canadian has been efficient across the board, and I want to tap into his ability as a passer in Game 1.
Nembhard has reached this milestone in five of his last six games and averaged 12.0 “potential assists” per game in the conference semifinals. That’s categorized as a pass leading directly to a shot.
He had at least four assists in all seven games against the Knicks last year, clearing this mark four times.
Towns 20+ points (-220): Towns wasn’t here when these teams met last year, and he could certainly be the difference between winning or losing this series.
The big man averaged 24.4 PPG this season and made a habit of torching Indiana.
- Towns is averaging 29.0 PPG in his last 10 games vs. Indiana, going 9-1 against this line.
- He averaged 30.3 PPG in three games agianst them this year (56.6 FG%, 46.7 3PT%).
Indiana has played at the third-fastest pace this postseason (99.27 possessions per 48 minutes), and I expect another high-scoring matchup on Wednesday.
Pacers vs. Knicks predictions made at 11:40 a.m. ET 05/20/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.