NY Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers odds, picks and predictions Game 2 Wednesday

The Knicks will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Trailing for most of the first half and down by as many as nine points early in the fourth quarter, New York rallied for a 121-117 win Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

If the Knicks are victorious in Game 2, it’ll be the second straight playoff series they would be up by multiple games against their opponent.

Will New York further extend its lead or can the Pacers earn a split on the road with the series shifting back to Indiana?

Here’s our betting breakdown on the spread, total and moneyline prediction for Game 2 at MSG:

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NY Knicks vs. Pacers spread: Knicks -5 (-110), Pacers +5.5 (-115)

After being a 6-point favorite in Game 1, the betting lines for Game 2 are not much different with New York ranging from a 5 to 5.5-point favorite on sportsbooks in New Jersey for Wednesday.

In four matchups this season, the Pacers are now 3-1 against the spread (ATS) this season (regular season and postseason).

When the two organizations have faced off at MSG, Indiana has covered in two of the three meetings, with the lone exception being a 109-105 Knicks win on Feb. 1 when New York was a 2-point favorite.

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has notably struggled since making his first All-Star appearance in mid-February and that continued in Game 1, where he finished with a playoff-low six points on only six shot attempts despite playing 36 minutes.

I expect Haliburton to bounce back and for Indiana to keep it close again in Game 2, covering this number.

BetMGM is the only sportsbook in NJ that currently offers the Pacers still at +5.5 with a price of -115 (Bet $115 to win $100).

prediction: Pacers +5.5 (-115)

NY Knicks vs. Pacers total: Over 220 points (-110), Under 220.5 points (-110)

Known for terrific defense and low-scoring games, the total for the Knicks has exceeded 230-plus points in three of their last five contests.

Given the recent history, the over/under sits the highest it has been so far for New York this postseason.

Even with that being said, I’d still take the over here.

The Pacers are giving up 111.7 points per game to opponents in the playoffs, which featured a first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks — who didn’t have former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for all six games.

While the Knicks only scored 49 points in the first half in Game 1, it was clear they found a rhythm in the final two quarters, as they scored 72 points in the second half.

The number 238 for total points might be out of the equation for Game 2, but I’m pretty confident these two teams combine to eclipse this total at MSG.

If you bet the over, 220 is the best number available with a price of -110 (Bet $110 to win $100) on a handful of sportsbooks.

prediction: Over 220 points (-110)

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NY Knicks vs. Pacers moneyline: Knicks -198 (Bet $198 to win $100), Pacers +170 (Bet $100 to win $170)

There’s no denying the Pacers gave the Knicks a run for their money in Game 1. If not for late-game heroics from Jalen Brunson (21 of his 43 points came in the fourth quarter), New York could’ve easily found itself down 1 -0 with a must-win scenario come Wednesday.

However, that’s not the case.

As mentioned earlier, I anticipate Haliburton will shoot more and have a bigger impact than he had on Monday night. He needs to if Indiana has any chance of reaching its first conference finals since in a decade (2013-14).

With that being said, I expect we will see another close Knicks playoff game, as all but one outcome has been decided by single digits.

It’s going to be another must-watch fourth quarter of Knicks basketball, with New York narrowly taking Game 2 and heading to the Hoosier State two wins away from their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since the turn of the century.

DraftKings Sportsbook has the shortest odds at -198 (Bet $198 to win $100) for the Knicks to take a 2-0 series lead tonight.