Pacers vs. Knicks: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Pacers vs. Knicks Odds
| Pacers Odds | +5 |
| Knicks Odds | -5 |
| Over/Under | 226 |
| Date | Wed, Jan. 11 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | MSG |
On Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers will travel to Madison Square Garden to play the surging New York Knicks. Entering play, New York has won four of their last five games, with their lone defeat coming against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ahead of tip-off oddsmakers have New York priced as 5-point home favorites on the spread.
Indiana Pacers
Ascending in the East
Since December 21, the Pacers are 8-2 overall and own the eighth-best Net Rating in basketball. In that span, they are outscoring their opponents by 3.2 points per 100 possessions, and have notable victories against the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers – all teams that currently occupy a play-in spot or better in their respective conference.
Struggles on the road
Still, Indiana has been a completely different team at home compared to the road during the first half of the campaign. In 22 home contests, they are 15-7 and have outscored their opponents by 3.7 points per 100 possessions. In 19 games on the road, this team is 8-11 and has been outscored by 4.4 points per 100 possessions.
New York Knicks
R.J. Barrett questionable
Per Fred Katz, R.J. Barrett has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game against the Pacers. Barrett last played a full allotment of minutes on Christmas against the Philadelphia 76ers before leaving the court after only two minutes two days later against the Dallas Mavericks.
In his absence, New York went 4-3, but each of their four wins came against teams that are currently on a trajectory for the lottery this summer rather than the postseason. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks rank in the 78th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 26th percentile in defensive efficiency when Barrett is on the floor this season, compared to the 79th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 92nd percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Underwhelming at the Garden
New York is the one of only six teams in the NBA this season with a losing record at home. The other five teams are the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets – each of which ranks in the bottom-three in the standings in their respective conference.
In their last 12 home games with Barrett in the lineup, New York is 4-8. Barrett, the team’s third leading scorer this season is shooting only 42.7% from the floor and 33.2% from beyond-the-arc in 35 games. There are strong arguments to be made that the Knicks have been better without him this year.
Pacers vs. Knicks – Picks & Predictions
Per Cleaning the Glass, the New York Knicks rank in only the 26th percentile in defensive efficiency this season when R.J. Barrett is on the floor. Facing an Indiana Pacers team that ranks 10th in the NBA in offensive efficiency across their last 10 games, it could be a struggle for this group to get stops on a consistent basis. If Barrett ends up playing on Wednesday, bettors should expect a fast-paced shootout between these two teams – take the over, depending on how the final injury report shakes out.
PICK: Over 226 (-110, DraftKings)