The spread tonight in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals tells us we're in for the third straight entertaining clash between the Knicks and the Pacers.
The Pacers hold a 2-0 series lead after stunning the Knicks at MSG in Games 1 and 2.
Now, New York -- which entered the Eastern Conference Finals as clear favorites to advance (with pre-series odds as short as -160 at bet365) -- is seeking to become the first team in NBA history to win a conference finals after falling into an 0-2 hole.
But given how close Games 1 and 2 were (and the fact that New York controlled Game 1 for 45-plus minutes), it feels like anything could happen in Indy tonight.
It's also worth keeping in mind that in last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Pacers fell behind 2-0 vs. the Knicks, then won four of the next five to advance.
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 3 Betting Odds
DK FD bet365
NYK spread +2.5 (-112) +2 (-110) +2 (-110)
IND spread -2.5 (-108) -2 (-110) -2 (-110)
NYK ML +105 +108 +110
IND ML -125 -126 -130
Total 224 (o-110; u-110) 223.5 (o-114; u-106) 224 (o-110; u-110)
How to Watch Knicks vs. Pacers Game 3
Tipoff: 8 p.m. ET
Channel: TNT/Max
Knicks vs. Pacers Series Odds (as of May 25)
DraftKings: NYK +400; IND -525
FanDuel: NYK +430; IND -590
bet365: NYK +375; -500
Best Knicks vs. Pacers Game 3 Player Props
Mitchell Robinson Over 9.5 Rebounds (+105 at DK) -- 1 unit
If it was hard to come away from watching Game 2 without expecting to see a lot more of the Knicks' backup center throughout the rest of this series.
Robinson's plus-minus of +6 in 29:20 was tied with Miles McBride for the best plus-minus of anyone in the rotation for coach Tom Thibodeau. Karl-Anthony Towns, on the other hand, was a -20 in 27:41.
With the Pacers effectively targeting Towns when they had the ball (he finished Game 2 with a defensive rating of 126), Thibodeau ended up playing Robinson nearly 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, while KAT spent more than half of the final frame on the bench.
Robinson is a rebounding machine, with 13.1 boards per 36 minutes in the playoffs. If he plays 25-plus minutes again tonight, he should have little difficulty pulling down 10 or more boards.
New York's backup big man has also put up solid rebounding numbers this postseason in games where Towns was effective. That gives Robinson a solid chance to cash this prop even if Thibodeau doesn't give him quite as many minutes as he got in Game 2.
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 3 Pick, Best Bets
The reasons not to like the Knicks in this series (besides the fact that they're down 0-2, of course) are mounting quickly, especially on the defensive end.
The Pacers posted an offensive rating of better than 120 in both Games 1 and 2, and their effective field goal percentage jumped from 58.5 in Game 1 to an even more impressive 59.6 in Game 2.
But the Knicks' play on the road this season makes it hard to count them out tonight. This team has gone 5-1 away from MSG in the playoffs after going 24-17 on the road in the regular season.
The other factor that makes this a tough game to predict is the uncertainty around how Thibodeau will manage his lineup. In addition to Towns' Game 2 struggles defensively, Knicks SG Josh Hart is off to a quiet offensive start to this series, with 14 points combined in Games 1 and 2.
If the version of Hart who averaged 14.5 points on 37.9 percent 3-point shooting in the Knicks' conference semifinal win over the Celtics (and knocked down 50 percent of his 3PA vs. the Pistons in the first round) doesn't reappear soon, it's hard to see the Knicks making this a long series.
This isn't the first time we've said this about Pacers-Knicks, but in Game 3, a high-scoring battle once again feels like a safe bet. In addition to the Over, we'll also take the Pacers to go over their team total.
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 3 Best Bets:
Over 223.5 (-114 at FanDuel) -- 1 unit
Pacers Team Total Over 112.5 (-112 at DraftKings) -- 1 unit
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This story was originally published May 25, 2025 at 12:04 PM.