The Indiana Pacers are set to face the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight at 8 p.m. ET, broadcast on TNT. In this pivotal Jan. 26 matchup, the Pacers were 4.5-point dogs while the Knicks received a -4.5 line. The stakes could not be higher, as the Pacers stand a single win away from moving on to the second round of the playoffs.
In this example, the Pacers have a money line of +145, indicating their potential payouts to money line bettors. The Knicks’ money line is listed at -170. The game has an extremely low total point projection of just 223.5. The implied odds of going over that total are -105. The odds of them going under is -115. These numbers put the point-producing prowess of both teams into perspective. Without them it will be difficult to know what they have in the game.
According to the Basketball Power Index (BPI) the Pacers are heavily favored to win. They are projected to win by the skin of their teeth—only 1.2 points. This very close forecast is yet another sign of how competitive the series is shaping up to be. The over/under for total points in the game is set at 224.5, just over the line of 223 points that was opened. That means fans should expect an impressive, jaw-droppingly offensive and possibly high-scoring shootout.
Individual matchups will be key as well in this heavyweight clash. T.J. McConnell is expected to go over 7.5 points after finishing with just six points in Game 4. His contributions will be key for the Pacers as they attempt to secure their play-in spot and get closer to earning a chance to advance. With point guard Tyrese Haliburton and rookie shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, Indy has two dynamic scoring threats who recently combined for 52 points against the Magic. This performance revealed the Pacers’ offensive blueprint to great effect.
When the championship game arrives, each team will be a well-oiled machine ready to play to their game plan’s strengths. The Knicks will aim to leverage their home-court advantage, while the Pacers will strive to capitalize on their recent momentum. Game 5 of the conference should be an amazing experience. Both teams will be playing as hard as they can to get to the next round of playoffs.
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