NBA Odds: Pacers (even)
The New York Knicks head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 4 and will air on MSG and FSN-IN.
The Pacers easily got past the 76ers 94-74 on Sunday. Roy Hibbert fueled the Pacers, recording 14 points and 15 rebounds to notch his 14th double-double this season. The Knicks, meanwhile, are coming off a 103-98 win over the Raptors on Saturday. Tim Hardaway Jr. shot 8-for-15 and led in scoring with 22 points.
Over the last five games, Rodney Stuckey has really been playing well for the Pacers. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Pacers won the first game 103-82. Stuckey scored a game-high 22 points.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Pacers look to improve upon their records of 25-34 Straight Up (SU) and 32-25-2 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games they are 8-2 ATS. Teams routinely struggle to score points against the Pacers, who allow only 96.8 points per game.
Across the court, the Knicks head into the game with records of 23-33-2 ATS and 12-46 SU. New York has a record of 8-30 SU and 15-22-1 ATS against the East.
Following the Pacers’ latest win over New York, their SU record rises to 7-3 over the Knicks in the last 10 meetings. Additionally, the Pacers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Indiana held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last 10 meetings. New York never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – IND, ATS Winner – IND
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana’s last 5 games.
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana’s last 5 games at home.
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York.
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York.
New York is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana.
New York averages 93.0 points per game, placing the team just 29th in the league. Indiana ranks fourth in points allowed, giving up 96.8 points per game.
New York averages 94.1 points per away game, placing the team just 27th in the league. Indiana ranks fifth in points allowed at home, giving up 95.2 points per home game.
In contests where it has given up fewer than 100 points, Indiana has a 20-15 record. When New York puts up fewer than 100, it is an underachieving 6-40.
When Indiana gives up at least 100 points, the team has a subpar 5-19 record this season. The Knicks are at 0.500 when they hit the century mark (6-6).
The Knicks have a defensive rating of 107.4 (ranked 28th). The Pacers rank 26th for their offensive rating of 99.6.
On average, Indiana has 96.4 possessions per game and scores .996 points on each possession. New York has both fewer possessions (94.0) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.989).
Indiana has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.8%. New York is a subpar 3-38 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Indiana makes an average of 21.3 assists per game (ranked 18th). New York ranks higher in assists with 21.6 (ranked 15th).
Indiana makes an average of 4.5 blocks per game (ranked 21st), while New York makes 4.1 blocks per game (ranked 26th).
The Indiana Pacers rank 22nd in offensive rebounding, while the New York Knicks rank 30th in defensive rebounding.
On average, Indiana makes 6.2 steals per game. New York is an underachieving 8-38 when it gives up at least 6 steals.
