Pacers vs. Knicks Series Odds, Prediction and Betting Preview for Eastern Conference Finals

Breaking down the series odds, matchups, trends and more for the Knicks and Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks are favored to win the Eastern Conference Finals. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

For the second straight season, the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks will face off in the NBA playoffs, only this time the stakes are even higher.

A trip to the NBA Finals is on the line between these two rivals, as the Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday by knocking off the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games.

Indiana, which has been in the Eastern Conference Finals for several days, rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs, beating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games and the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, including three wins in Cleveland. 

Now, New York has home court in the Eastern Conference Finals as the No. 3 seed in the East. Last season, the Pacers and Knicks played in the second round of the playoffs with Indiana ultimately taking the series in seven games.

However, the Knicks didn’t have several rotation players entering that series and Jalen Brunson (broken hand in Game 7) and OG Anunoby (missed Games 3-6 and most of Game 7) both dealt with major injuries. 

Still, the Pacers are going to be a tough test for New York, as they are the No. 2 offense in the NBA in the playoffs and have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons.

Oddsmakers have set the Knicks as favorites to advance to the NBA Finals, but the odds are rather tight ahead of Game 1. 

Pacers vs. Knicks Series Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Indiana Pacers: +120
• New York Knicks: -140

Pacers vs. Knicks Correct Score Odds

• Knicks in 7: +400
• Pacers in 6: +425
• Knicks in 5: +475
• Knicks in 6: +600
• Pacers in 7: 700
• Knicks in 4: +750
• Pacers in 5: +800
• Pacers in 4: +1000

Pacers vs. Knicks Series Preview

• The Knicks went 2-1 against the Pacers in the regular season, including a 25-point win at home.
• Mitchell Robinson did not play in any of the three games between these teams in the regular season.
• The Pacers are No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 1 in effective field goal percentage this postseason.
• Indiana was a top-10 defense following the All-Star break, a major step forward from last season.
• New York is fifth in defensive rating, but just 10th in offensive rating in the playoffs.
• The Knicks are 5-1 on the road in the playoffs. Indiana is 4-1 on the road in the playoffs. 
• There are a lot of player connections in this series. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam were teammates in Toronto while Obi Toppin is a former Knick.
• The home team won six of the seven games in the Pacers-Knicks series last season.
• The Knicks and Pacers have faced off in the playoffs eight times. Indiana has won five of those matchups, including the last three. 
• NBA Finals Odds: The Knicks are +360 to win the title while the Pacers are +550.

Pacers vs. Knicks Series Prediction and Pick

This series is going to be fun. 

The Pacers have been playing some terrific basketball since the start of 2025, winning 42 of the 58 games they’ve played. 

The Indiana Pacers are 42-16 in the calendar year of 2025. https://t.co/AFL2Vg3Ix0

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) May 14, 2025

A lot of that has coincided with the health of Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard, two of their top defenders on the roster. Both missed time early in the season, and it led to a slow start for Indiana to open the campaign.

For the Knicks, they have played a ton of close games this postseason, but showed some serious grit by coming back from double-digit deficits (including two games where they trailed by 20) to beat Boston three times to take a 3-1 series lead.

New York’s commanding offensive showing in Game 6 on Friday to close out Boston was easily the team’s best performance of the playoffs.

So, both of these teams are peaking, and are relatively healthy, entering this matchup. 

I don’t really want to consider the regular season results too much when handicapping this series, especially since Robinson didn’t play. And, we just saw the Knicks beat a team they went 0-4 against in the regular season. 

However, there is something noteworthy from a matchup perspective going back to last season’s series – especially since Indiana has a lot of the same personnel (although Bennedict Mathurin is healthy this time around). 

The Knicks didn’t have a lot of scoring options with Julius Randle out and Anunoby eventually going down, allowing the Pacers to use Nembhard, Nesmith and TJ McConnell on Brunson to pressure him.

With this current Knicks team, I am very intrigued about how Indiana will match up, since Nesmith may need to guard Mikal Bridges since the Knicks forward would have such a size advantage on Nembhard. This could help the Knicks in switches, and help New York get some favorable post-up matchups for Karl-Anthony Towns.

I also am just not sold on this Indiana team guarding Brunson, especially since he has more weapons at his disposal this season.

In last season’s series, here’s how Brunson fared against each primary defender: 

• vs. Nembard: 67 points (66.7% FG, 50.0% 3P) in 110 partial possessions
• vs. Nesmith: 68 points (45.0% FG, 36.4% 3P) in 145.5 partial possessions
• vs. McConnell: 26 points (44.0% FG, 0.0% 3P) in 106.7 partial possessions

Indiana didn’t have an answer for Brunson, but Nembhard struggled especially as the primary defender on him. So, does Rick Carlisle roll with Nesmith and give up size in another matchup? It’s something to watch for in Game 1 and as the series goes on.

Indiana’s frantic pace and penchant for pressing full court can take the Knicks out of rhythm, but it’s worth noting that New York has pushed the pace a little more in the playoffs, compared to the rest of the league, than it did in the regular season.

New York is eight in pace this postseason after finishing 26th in the regular season. 

Ultimately, I think Brunson is the difference in this series. Not only has he been the best clutch player in the NBA this season, but Indiana doesn’t have a great matchup for him across the board. The Knicks, unlike last season, now have multiple defenders they can throw at Tyrese Haliburton, and they’ll actually have Robinson in the lineup against Indiana.

With the Knicks holding home court, I think they win this series, but it’s going to be a long battle. 

Pick: Knicks to win the series, Knicks in 7 (+400 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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