Knicks vs. Pacers Game Three Prediction: Anunoby OUT, Brunson Questionable

The Indiana Pacers are facing an 0-2 hole in the Eastern Conference Semifinals as they prepare to host the New York Knicks on Friday evening.

The Pacers had a 10-point halftime lead in Game Two thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s best half of the postseason. They ultimately could not close the deal as they blew their second straight second-half lead despite being highly competitive.

The Knicks just keep on coming. They did not have Jalen Brunson from late in the first quarter until the third and later lost OG Anunoby to a hamstring injury, yet their resilience and toughness helped them pull out yet another close game. Their piling injuries are a huge concern, but they keep finding ways to win games.

Here, we will go over the betting odds and share our favorite pick for Game Three in the Knicks vs. Pacers series.

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Game Three Betting Odds for Friday, May 10

The Knicks are 47-40-3 (54 percent) against the spread and 13-13-1 (50 percent) ATS as a road underdog. They covered in one of the two games in the series and are 4-4 ATS in the playoffs.

The Pacers are 48-40-3 (54.6 percent) ATS and 16-15-1 (51.6 percent) ATS as a home favorite. They’re also 4-4 ATS in the playoffs and 3-2 ATS across all regular and postseason matchups with NY.

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New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Game Three Prediction

New York Knicks Preview

The spread for this game makes it seem as if Jalen Brunson is not going to play due to his foot injury. He scored 29 points in 32 minutes in Game Two after four straight games of 40+ points and is the catalyst behind most of the Knicks’ success.

A player who has already been ruled out is Anunoby, who has done very little aside from win basketball games since he moved to the Big Apple. He’s 26-5 since he was traded by the Toronto Raptors and will be a huge loss because of his defensive presence, three-point shooting, and overall consistency. 

The Knicks are an uncharacteristic 13th in playoff defensive rating, but they make up for that by ranking third in offensive rating. Their 13.4 offensive rebounds per game are by far the best in the postseason, and they also lead all playoff teams in three-point percentage (39.2).

Every player in the rotation deserves a mini-documentary for their roles and contributions to the team’s success. With Anunoby out and Brunson potentially trending in that direction, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, who have both been excellent, are going to need to take their games to another level. 

Miles McBride and Alec Burks could also see heavy time in the rotation. Burks played one minute in the playoffs as a whole, while McBride was excellent off the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers but has four total points in limited minutes in the Indy series.

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Indiana Pacers Preview

The Pacers will feel frustrated that they trail 0-2 when they had a very realistic chance to be in the driver’s seat with a 2-0 lead. 

The underdogs in the series had a late fourth-quarter lead in Game One but let that slip away, and then they failed to close out Game Two after they built a 10-point cushion with Brunson off the court.

Tyrese Haliburton can be held responsible for the Pacers not yet winning a game. He scored six points on just six shots in Game One and then had an excellent box score in Game Two, except he was highly unimpactful for most of the second half and was thoroughly outplayed by Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo down the stretch.

Indy had one of the worst regular-season defenses and has the second-worst defensive rating in the playoffs. Their normal saving grace of running teams off the three-point line also hasn’t worked, as the Knicks made an average of 12.5 threes and shot 47.2 percent from beyond the arc to start the series.

Luckily, the Pacers lead the playoffs with an offensive rating of 120.8 (0.2 above the Knicks). They were also 7.3 points per 100 possessions better on their home floor than they were on the road, while the Knicks were 2.6 points per 100 possessions worse on the road during the regular season.

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New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Game Three Betting Pick

Assuming Brunson plays, this spread is just too much. We think the Pacers have a solid chance of winning this game but don’t see the Knicks being blown out or just rolling over, given the intangibles they’ve proven to have. 

That said, no Brunson likely means no cover for the Knicks. McBride has had his days, and Hart and DiVincenzo can still generate offense, but not to the level needed with all of the injuries the team suffered.

Wait for the final injury report to come out before placing any bets. Either way, we’re looking to the Pacers to win this game (but wouldn’t bet it because of the lower value).

• Knicks vs. Pacers pick: Knicks +6.5 (-105) at BetMGM (tentatively)

How to Watch Knicks vs. Pacers Game Three

• When: Friday, May 10 @ 7:00 p.m. ET

• Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

• TV: ESPN

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