NBA Playoff Picks: Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks, Game 2

Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks
Tuesday, 5/7/13, 7:00 PM EST, TV: TNT
Opening Point Spread: New York -5.5
Current Betting Line: New York -6
Opening Total: 185
Current Total: 183
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The New York Knicks are 19-9 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 6 points

Indiana came away with a 102-95 victory over New York as five-point road underdogs in Game 1 Sunday, while going OVER the posted total of 181.5, as it now possesses home-court advantage in this Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Pacers controlled the glass in out-rebounding the Knicks by a 44-30 margin, which is important to consider when making your NBA picks against the spread Tuesday night. “We’re a big, physical team,” commented Pacers center Roy Hibbert. Indiana is 8-3 ATS as road underdogs of 3.5 to 6 points, with the UNDER going 6-5 in that situation.

The Pacers were 19-21 overall on the road during the regular season, but have split four games away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse during the 2013 NBA playoffs. Hibbert finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in the series opener, as he outplayed New York center Tyson Chandler in the paint. It’s still important to note that the franchise has gone 0-9 in its last nine playoff losses, failing to cover the number by an average of 8.8 points.

New York may have suffered a letdown after moving past the Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals, but it needs star forward Carmelo Anthony to break out of his shooting slump, as he’s knocked down just 35 of 110 shots over his last four games. He’s still averaging 28.9 points in 40.4 minutes of action, but it’s something to be concerned about when looking over the NBA betting lines. New York is 19-9 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 6 points the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 17-11 in that situation.

The Knicks are averaging just 88.7 points during the postseason, as they’ve hit just 41.5 percent of their shots, including 33.7 from beyond the arc. Anthony will need to get off to a great start in this affair, as he led the league in scoring 9.0 points per game in the first quarter. Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith needs to get over his recent woes as well, finishing 4 of 15 from the floor in the opener.