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Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Series Predictions and Best Bets

by Spencer Toth - 5/20/2025

Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks series predictions and best bets Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers pulled off massive upsets to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, setting up a rematch of their second-round meeting last season. Indiana was a +500 underdog to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the New York Knicks were +525 underdogs to beat the Boston Celtics. The Pacers have yet to win a championship in franchise history and will look to take their postseason run one step further after their ECF exit last year. All five of the Pacers starters are averaging 14.6 or more PPG this postseason, and they are led by Tyrese Haliburton on the offensive end. Indiana faces off against another well-rounded side in the New York Knicks. While there is no denying the impact of Jalen Brunson, it has undoubtedly been a team effort as the Knicks look to snap their 52-year championship drought. All five players are scoring 13.2 or more PPG, and there is no weak link in either of these rosters. One of these underdogs will advance to the NBA Finals, and let’s dive in to find out which of these contenders will write the next chapter in their Cinderella story. 

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New York Knicks:

The New York Knicks have been incredibly frustrating to watch for their passionate fanbase, but all that pain can be erased with a successful trip to the NBA Finals. This is already the furthest the Knicks have reached this century, and there is no reason to think their stunning run will end now. New York swatted aside the Detroit Pistons 4-2 in the first round before taking down the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, by the same scoreline in the following series. Many people have pointed out that the Knicks took advantage of Jayson Tatum’s injury, but let’s not forget New York was minutes away from a 3-1 lead when the superstar went down. Tatum was healthy and on the court when New York pulled off not one, but two 20-point comebacks to take the first two games of that series at TD Garden. 

This team was carefully constructed in the offseason and it has already begun to pay dividends. They kicked things off by bringing in Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for five first-round picks. While that was a hefty price to pay for Bridges, he has slotted in nicely and is the perfect workhorse for Tom Thibodeau to lean on. Bridges leads the team in both steals and blocks this postseason, and will happily log 40+ minutes of action on a nightly basis. The Knicks weren’t done there, as they also brought in Karl-Anthony Towns while shipping away Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The fanbase quickly got over the breakup of the Villanova Knicks when they saw how well Towns slotted into this lineup. His ability to stretch the floor and run a pick-and-roll game with Jalen Brunson opened up the New York offense. Towns can generate his own offense in the paint too, and has vacuumed up 11.3 rebounds per game this playoffs. 

While the roster changes certainly elevated the Knicks, the improvements from Jalen Brunson are what changed the trajectory of this team. Brunson rightfully claimed the Clutch Player of the Year award this season with countless made shots late in games. His ability to steady the ship for New York is one only a true superstar can possess, and his 28.8 PPG this playoffs has been a real difference maker in New York. He is also averaging 7.7 assists per game with a stellar 3.0 assist/turnover ratio, and is the lifeblood on the offensive end for the Knicks. 

New York is a team with a well-rounded starting five capable of going all the way this season. The heavy workload Thibodeau has put on this team has given them lots of time to build chemistry this season. They have been fortunate to remain relatively healthy all year, and there is no doubt that availability is the best ability for this team. As long as the Knicks stay healthy for the next month, they have the depth, skillset, and mentality capable of finally giving this tortured fan base something truly tangible to cheer for. 

Indiana Pacers:
The Indiana Pacers made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season before bowing out to the eventual champions. They have been able to replicate that feat this season and will be hoping they can take the next step by swatting aside New York to reach the NBA Finals. Indiana took down the Milwaukee Bucks in relatively straightforward fashion in the first round, taking advantage of a banged-up Damian Lillard and a disgruntled Giannis Antetokounmpo. Indiana was able to shut them down on the defensive end of the court despite Giannis averaging 33 PPG in the series. In the second round, the Pacers had a much tougher task against the Cavaliers waiting for them, but made it look easy once again. They jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with a pair of road victories before eventually closing out the series on the road in Cleveland with a 4-1 scoreline. The craziest statistic from that series is that the Pacers went 3-0 in Cleveland after going a perfect 2-0 at Rocket Arena in the regular season, too. The Cavaliers record at home in the regular season and playoffs against teams other than the Pacers? A dominant 36-5. Indiana was able to rise to the occasion when they needed to most, thanks to a deep starting five and a more than capable bench. They have run a 10-man rotation for most of the postseason, which has allowed them to stay fresh and ride the hot hand on a night-by-night basis. 

The way the Pacers roster is built makes it difficult to put the offensive spotlight on any one player. Tyrese Haliburton dishes out 9.3 assists and trails only Pascal Siakam in PPG this season, but he is still an average point guard for a championship contender. His deep ball still needs work, but he doesn’t have to do it all with a well-rounded team around him. Siakam leads the team with 18.8 PPG, but that would be his lowest regular-season average since the 2018-19 season with the Raptors. He isn’t getting the same volume as he was used to in years past, but Siakam is still more than capable of delivering offense when the Pacers need it most. Myles Turner could be a primary option on another team, but his role of hauling in rebounds and stretching the defense with his deep-ball ability makes him a crucial cog in this Pacers offense. It is easy to look at the Pacers' red-hot shooting over the season as an anomaly, but their ability to create open shots is what has allowed them to thrive in this category. They rarely have to settle for bad shots, and the Pacers staff fully trusts whoever is open to take the shot, regardless of the game situation. Indiana’s resilience and deep roster make it no surprise to see them in the ECF for the second consecutive season. 

Series Prediction:
The Indiana Pacers took down the Knicks in seven games last year in the playoffs, and the Knicks took the regular season series 2-1. Indiana leaned on some historic shooting nights to expose a generous Knicks three-point defense last season, but this is a very different team waiting for them now. Brunson has vastly improved his perimeter defense, and the trio of Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges comprises one of the best wing defenses in the league. All three have solidified their career as NBA mainstays with their defensive work, and I fully believe the Knicks will get their revenge this year. 

The equivalently deep starting fives mean it will come down to the big moments, and there is no one I would trust more than Jalen Brunson. Brunson has already delivered clutch moment after clutch moment this season and playoff run, and the Pacers don’t have someone to rely on like New York does. It only takes one or two shots to truly swing a series as close as this one, and after decades of despair, it will be New York that finally gets the bounces to go their way. Brunson and Towns are unstoppable on offense, and the trio of pesky Knicks defenders rounding out their roster will hand them the series victory.  

Prediction: New York Knicks in 7 Games

Best Bets: 

The New York Knicks are -145 favorites to win this series, and that is a price I am more than happy to pay. We aren’t getting the same +525 odds we got with them against the Celtics, but there is still money to be made. New York has already shown they aren’t the same team as last season, and let’s not forget OG Anunoby missed half the series while Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson did not even suit up. New York is healthy, motivated, and has proven they have been the better team this season. Indiana’s strong playoff showing has been impressive, but the Knicks look like a truly unstoppable force that is ready to march to the NBA Finals. 

For the second bet of this series, we will be swallowing a bit of juice with Over 5.5 games at -190. These two teams have eerily similar rosters, and it is difficult to imagine either team running away with this one. Both have shown resilience during their respective playoff runs, and this one will go right down to the wire. The +190 odds on this series going to game seven is certainly tempting, but we will play it safe with the -190 counterpart to give us some extra insurance. 

Top Pick: New York Knicks to win Series -145

Pick: Over 5.5 Games -190

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