Knicks vs. Pacers odds, betting: Best bets for the Eastern Conference finals
The New York Knicks executed a stunning trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves before the season, dealing Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in a deal for Karl-Anthony Towns. They have to be happy with the result, as New York is in the Eastern Conference finals for just the second time since 1975 — and the first time as a favorite since 1994. The Knicks are -155 favorites to advance to the NBA Finals at BetMGM.
The Indiana Pacers are in the conference finals for the second consecutive year and are a lot healthier than last year when they were swept by the Boston Celtics, the eventual champions. Tyrese Haliburton and Co. shocked the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the last round and won't be intimidated by the Madison Square Garden environment.
This should be another fantastic series between two Eastern Conference rivals.
Yahoo Sports asked handicapper Michael Fiddle for his thoughts on the Knicks-Pacers series and his best bets:
Fiddle: "The Knicks are coming in with a rest disadvantage, but because they closed Game 6 on Saturday, they still have four days off, which neutralizes that disadvantage. It was really important they closed that series in Game 6, so they didn't have to travel to and from Boston.
"My model had the regular-season numbers as Knicks -3.6 in Game 1, so Knicks -3.5 was spot on, with a little bit of Knicks action coming into the market, which is what we've seen. If you count home-court advantage as slightly more advantage in the playoffs, -4 or -4.5 makes sense. I think we see that line steam a little more. Home-court advantage for the Knicks should be stronger in the playoffs than the regular season because star players who are questionable are more likely to play because it's MSG.
"I like Knicks at -4.5 or better in Game 1 and the Knicks in series. All of the regular-season matchups moved toward the over and cashed the over on the closing line, and we've already seen the total move 2.5 points as well. Probably a high-scoring series and a Knicks win."
Best bets: NY Knicks -4.5 in Game 1, NY Knicks -155 to win series
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
28 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
People protesting, Pacers fans and police gather in Indianapolis
Here's what it looks and sounds like outside of Gainbridge Arena as the Pacers get ready to play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Puma Unveils Tyrese Haliburton Signature Sneaker Ahead of NBA Finals
NBA star Tyrese Haliburton is one of the major reasons the Indiana Pacers will be representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Game 1 tipping off Thursday night on ABC. The 25-year-old Haliburton has not only played exceptionally well throughout this impressive Pacers' playoff run, he also happily embraced playing the role of the trolling villain to rabid Knicks fans under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden. Advertisement While the two-time NBA All-Star has always been a very good player, there probably hasn't been a time in Haliburton's five-year career where his name has been anywhere close to as hot as it's become over the last month. That's probably why Puma, who Haliburton signed a multi-year deal with before the season started, decided to strike while the iron's scorching hot and unveiled his signature sneaker literally hours before the start of the 2025 NBA Finals. This new line of signature Haliburton sneakers have been officially dubbed as The Puma Hali 1. What you're seeing in the above photos is The Puma Hali 1 "Hibiscus," which is reportedly set to release in September. Advertisement However, there won't be any kind of waiting game for Haliburton, who is expected to be debuting the signature shoe in the NBA Finals. "When I signed with Puma the first order of business was to sign a signature athlete," said respected designer Salehe Bembury, who also serves as VP of men's footwear at Versace. "They showed me a list of available and unavailable NBA athletes and told me to choose one to recruit. I chose Tyrese … He is him." Puma seems to have truly caught lightning in a bottle in choosing Haliburton, as he had just left Nike prior to this season. As of now, there has been no confirmed listed retail price for The Hali 1 "Hibiscus." Advertisement Haliburton and the Pacers are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Related: Nike Makes Major Announcement for Sneaker Releases Puma Unveils Tyrese Haliburton Signature Sneaker Ahead of NBA Finals first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 5, 2025
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Chicago Sky Fan's Merchandise
The Indiana Fever cruised to a dominant 79-52 win that was never in doubt over rival Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 7, impressively doing so without the services of injured star Caitlin Clark. Despite the game being played at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, prior to tip-off Clark was seen doling out a number of autographs for her many fans who opted to make the trip anyway, knowing full well Clark would not be playing. Advertisement But since the game was in Chicago, there were bound to be at least some autograph-seekers wearing Sky apparel. In rather humorous fashion, while the 23-year-old Clark was going down the line signing jerseys for delighted fans, she ran into one that was wearing a Chicago Sky t-shirt and more or less gave a "yeah, not happening" nod, quickly moving on to a fan wearing a "Fever 22" Clark t-shirt. It appeared to be all in good fun, though, as Clark gave a smile after the staunch denial while the Sky fan immediately began laughing, seemingly knowing she was probably taking a chance by serving up Sky merchandise for the Fever star to sign. Advertisement But the dismissal did kind of speak to Clark's renowned competitive nature—even when injured—with what's been somewhat of a media-driven rivalry between her and Sky star Angel Reese ever since the two entered the WNBA just a year ago. Related: Caitlin Clark Praised for What She Did Before Fever Defeated Angel Reese, Chicago Sky "I grew up loving rivalries," Clark said. "I grew up in Iowa. Iowa-Iowa State. That's like a pro matchup in the state of Iowa ... I think for the fans, it's great. They love it. I mean, Chicago is the closest team to us." In addition to the brief clip of the WNBA superstar opting out of signing some Sky merchandise, there was also a video over three minutes long of Clark signing autographs and posing for photos with fans before the game in Chicago, one that drew a packed house with nearly 20,000 in attendance. As for Clark's return to the court, she had stated it would become a "day-by-day" type of situation following Saturday's game against the Sky, and ultimately a decision left to what the Fever medical staff believes is the best course of action. Advertisement "I feel like I've made a lot of progress and I feel good, and I'm not going to rush coming back," Clark said. "It's just not worth it. But after this [past] weekend, I'll be reevaluated and we'll have a better idea of when I'll return." The Fever's next two games are against the Atlanta Dream on June 10 followed by a nationally televised game on ABC against the New York Liberty on June 14. Related: Puma Unveils Tyrese Haliburton Signature Sneaker Ahead of NBA Finals Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Chicago Sky Fan's Merchandise first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2025
