Pacers vs. Knicks Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Best Bets and Predictions

The Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks tips off on Wednesday. It's a rematch of last season's conference semifinals, which Indiana won in seven. This time the stakes are even higher with each team fighting for a chance to play in the NBA Finals. The Knicks haven't made the Finals since 1999 while the Pacers last played for a championship in 2000. The two faced in the 1999 and 2000 seasons in the conference finals. The rivalry is alive and well about 25 years later.

With that said, let's dig into the upcoming series. Will New York get revenge for last season, or will Indiana pull off the upset once again?

All NBA betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Pacers vs. Knicks Eastern Conference Finals Betting Odds

Following surprise wins from each team as heavy underdogs, this is viewed as a nearly even series with the Knicks -146 to advance to the NBA Finals. FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA Finals odds has New York (+460) a step above Indiana (+700) when it comes to winning it all.

We should expect a competitive, deep series as over 5.5 games is set at -188. Where can we get good value before this series begins?

Best Bets for Pacers vs. Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals

Knicks to Win the Series (-146)

While picking a series winner can often bring underwhelming lines, I'm fine with -146 for the Knicks. In comparison, the Oklahoma City Thunder are -375 to take down the Minnesota Timberwolves. Here's why New York has a good chance of advancing.

After finishing the regular season ranked 14th in defensive rating, the Pacers are currently 8th in the category among 16 playoff teams. Once again, this is about as mediocre as it gets, and one could argue Indiana was somewhat fortunate with the Cleveland Cavaliers suffering injuries while shooting only 42.6% from the field in the previous series. I still have questions about this defense.

The Knicks also caught a break with the Boston Celtics sustaining injuries. However, this doesn't take away from a clear advantage against Indiana. In the regular season, New York had the fourth-highest shot distribution around the rim (per Dunks & Threes) while totaling the sixth-most points in the paint per contest. Meanwhile, the Pacers allowed the fifth-highest shot distribution around the rim and fifth-most points in the paint per game.

Even in a five-game series win over the Cavaliers, Cleveland still reached at least 50 points in the paint in four of five matchups against Indiana. This weakness is still present in the postseason, giving the Knicks a chance to feast around the rim. Ultimately, I believe this matchup will vault New York to the NBA Finals.

However, I still expect this to be a competitive series. We can get more value from this pick by selecting the correct series score with the Knicks winning 4-3 (+360). The Pacers should still have success at times -- which includes New York giving up the 6th-highest shot distribution around the rim while Indiana logged the 12th-most points in the paint per contest.

During the regular season, the Pacers played at the seventh-quickest pace compared to the Knicks playing at the fifth-slowest. Upping the tempo should give Indiana a few wins in this series.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NBA Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.