Pacers vs Knicks NBA Game 2 Predictions, Odds & Best Bets (5/8): Indiana Keeps Things Close

Today's Pacers vs. Knicks  NBA predictions and best bets for Game 2 are brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from the NBA playoffs to the UFC odds and everything in between.

The New York Knicks have the opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead when they host the Indiana Pacers for Game 2 on Wednesday, May 8.

Clutch Time 🎥 pic.twitter.com/jeTtNCCT3o

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 7, 2024

In what was a back-and-forth contest, the Knicks took a 1-0 series lead with a 121-117 win over the Pacers in Game 1. As usual, Jalen Brunson stole the show for New York, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 40-plus points and five-plus assists in four consecutive games with his 43-point, six-assist effort.

Can New York ride its latest momentum to another win? Or will Indiana find a way to even the series before returning home?

It's Pacers vs. Knicks Game 2 tonight and everything you need to know is in my predictions and NBA best bets below.

Pacers vs Knicks NBA Betting Tonight (5/8)

Pacers vs Knicks Game 2 Information

• Matchup: No. 6 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 2 New York Knicks (NYK leads 1-0)
• Venue & Location: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
• Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024
• Game Time: 8 p.m. ET
• How to Watch Pacers vs. Knicks: TNT

Knicks vs Pacers NBA Game 2 Betting Odds & Spread

Knicks vs. Pacers NBA odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Wednesday, May 8 at 8:59 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Pacers vs Knicks Spread

• Indiana Pacers +4.5 (-109)
• New York Knicks -4.5 (-111)

Knicks vs Pacers Over/Under

• Over 220.5 Points (-110)
• Under 220.5 Points (-110)

Pacers vs Knicks Moneyline

• Indiana Pacers (+157)
• New York Knicks (-177)

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Pacers vs Knicks NBA Betting Trends

• Indiana is 1-4 straight up in its last five road games.
• New York is 6-2 straight up in its last eight home games vs. Indiana.
• Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last five games vs. New York.
• New York is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games played in May.
• The total hit the Over in five of Indiana's last six games.
• The total hit the Over in eight of New York's last night home games.

Pacers vs Knicks Game 2 Predictions & NBA Picks Today (5/8)

If Game 1 was a taste of how this series will develop, NBA fans are in for a treat. The Pacers and Knicks proved to be evenly matched in the series opener, trading leads throughout the game while never reaching a double-digit lead. In fact, Indiana even had a 62.8% chance of winning when it led by two points with 1:33 left in the game only to wind up losing.

Nevertheless, the Knicks were able to walk out with the eventual victory because of all the little things they did right. For starters, they were extremely accurate with the ball, finishing with solid .537/.478/.846 shooting splits. While the Pacers shot the ball above average, their inferior 38.5% three-point and 78.9% free-throw percentages were the difference.

Another area where New York had the edge was in the rebounding department. The Knicks outrebounded the Pacers 40-32 as Josh Hart led the way with 13 rebounds while OG Anunoby wasn't too far behind him with nine.

Meanwhile, there wasn't a single Indiana player who had more than six rebounds.

Josh Hart's rebounding performance was a big reason why the Knicks won Game 1. 

Even though they played well despite the defeat, history suggests that the Pacers face an uphill battle tonight. Indiana has struggled to produce results on the road lately, going 1-4 SU in its last eight away games. If that wasn't bad enough, it also tasted defeat in six of its last eight trips to Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks, meanwhile, have played to a dominant 10-2 SU record in their last 12 outings. That's without mentioning how they're 6-3 SU across their last nine meetings with the Pacers. Having said that, New York only outscored Indiana by an average of 2.0 PPG during that stretch.

The Knicks have also been inconsistent when it comes to covering the spread, going 3-6 ATS In their last nine outings. They're also 4-8 ATS in their last 12 May contests.

The Pacers are far from a perfect team, but they're at least 4-2 ATS in their last six games on top of being 4-1 ATS in their five previous matchups against the Knicks.

The Pacers have done a better job recently at covering the spread compared to the Knicks. 

I think this series will go the full seven games, so I'm backing the Pacers to win tonight. The Knicks won Game 1, yes, but they were turnover-prone throughout the contest. If the Pacers can do a better job at capitalizing on any potential takeaway, evening the series is a real possibility.

I also recommend backing Indiana on the 4.5-point spread. Again, the Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Knicks following a four-point loss in Game 1. Considering how New York only outscored Indiana by an average of two points in the last nine meetings at MSG, I fully expect the Pacers to keep things close or even pull off the outright upset.

Pacers vs Knicks NBA Game 2 Prediction: IND wins

Best Pacers vs Knicks NBA Bet: IND +4.5 (-109)

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Best Pacers vs Knicks NBA Game 2 Prop Bet (5/8)

While a few Pacers vs. Knicks Game 2 props stick out, I'm backing Obi Toppin to record over 1.5 threes made (+117).

Toppin's three-point shooting reached the next level this regular season, averaging 1.2 threes with a career-high 40.3% success rate. Although he hasn't been as accurate in the playoffs (31.4%), the former Dayton product has still hit the Over on this prop in each of his last three games. In fact, the Over is now 7-5 in his last 12 games dating back to the regular season.

Having also hit the Over in three straight games against the Knicks, his former team, I see Toppin having another productive night.

Best Pacers vs Knicks Game 2 Prop Bet: Obi Toppin o1.5 Threes Made (+117)

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