Back the Pacers covering as underdogs vs Knicks in Game 1 of ECSF

The first game between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks tips off Monday night, and oddsmakers on NBA betting sites give the Knicks a six point edge ahead of tipoff. I like the Pacers being able to keep this first game close and am picking them to cover +6 points on DraftKings (-110).

After the Knicks won their first round games by an average of 4.5 points, I don’t see any blowout wins coming from New York. The Pacers’ first round wins came by an average of 13.8 points, but neither of their losses were close (15 and 23 points).

Seeing Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton duel will be a treat. Brunson had a legendary first round series with an average of 35.5 points and nine assists. Halburton averaged just 16 points but 9.3 assists per game. Both players struggled shooting from the field.

Defense is the area separating these teams most. The Knicks allowed the fourth least points per game this year while the Pacers allowed the fourth most. New York surrendered 108.2 points per game in round one while Indiana allowed 110.2.

My biggest question for the Knicks is whether Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Donte DiVincenzo can keep up their scoring. Hart was sensational throughout round one in multiple ways, while Anunoby and DiVincenzo had brilliant moments as well.

Haliburton being Indiana’s third leading scorer in round one gives me some confidence in the Pacers. Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner don’t need to average more points than Halburton, but them playing well while Haliburton bounces back hypothetically would help a lot.

Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson were outstanding for the Knicks in round one on the offensive glass. Siakam and Turner will pose a tough challenge, but second chance points could very well be the decider in Game 1 and the series as a whole.

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The Knicks averaged 14.5 offensive rebounds in round one while the Pacers averaged 10.3. I think Indiana keeping pace with New York in that department and hanging tighter in the rebounding battle could play a big role in keeping this game close.

I think the Pacers liking a faster pace will also throw New York off guard. The Knicks play at the slowest pace in the league while the Pacers play at the second fastest. The 76ers played slower than the Bucks, so Indiana won’t have to adjust like New York will.

While Brunson will most likely play outstanding, I’m interested to see how fresh he and the Knicks are. Both teams played six games in their round one series, but the intensity of the Knicks series felt higher throughout, leaving me curious to see if there’s a hangover effect.

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