The New York Knicks (18-7) and Indiana Pacers (6-20) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EST from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The game will be broadcast live on FDSIN.
The Knicks are 4.5-point favorites over the Pacers on the spread (Knicks -4.5), with the over/under set at 225.5 total points. New York is a -190 to win outright on the moneyline, while Indiana is +160 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Knicks vs. Pacers predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, December 18.
My Knicks vs Pacers Prediction
- Knicks vs Pacers picks: Pacers +4.5 (-110) / Pacers Moneyline (+160)
My Pacers vs Knicks best bets is split between Indiana to cover the spread and to win the game, with the best price currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Knicks vs Pacers Odds
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -115 | 225.5 -110o / -110u | -190 |
| Pacers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -105 | 225.5 -110o / -110u | +160 |
Knicks vs Pacers NBA Preview
Im going with the Pacers +4.5 in this spot, and I’m also splitting this with the moneyline. For accuracy, the moneyline was +156 earlier and is sitting closer to +160 now. The plan is half a unit on the spread and half a unit on the moneyline.
The Knicks are on the front end of a back-to-back, with a home game against the 76ers at Madison Square Garden the next night.
This is a quick one-game trip to Indiana after they played the Spurs two days ago in the NBA Cup Finals, which was an extra game. That was their 83rd game.
OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns both showed up on the injury report. This line should probably be closer to -8 for the Knicks. The fact that it’s sitting at +4 tells you the kind of news we’re likely going to get.
This game has “punt” written all over it.
These guys were probably partying hard in Vegas after winning the Cup. If the Knicks bench their stars, they do not have the backups to run with anyone in this league who is actually trying.
Knicks vs Pacers Prediction, Betting Analysis
The only thing that makes me a little nervous is that it’s a small number for a team as bad as Indiana.
If we end up getting a clean injury report for New York, that obviously changes things.
The Knicks have actually been really good this season in rest-disadvantage spots, which has been one of their strengths. But they are not a good road team.
This spot just has “we don’t care” written all over it. They get Philadelphia at MSG the very next night, they’ve been in Vegas for four or five days, and it’s hard to imagine they’re putting their best foot forward in this game.
Picks: Pacers +4.5 (-110) / Pacers Moneyline (+160)
