NBA Predictions: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers

New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers
Tuesday, 4/3/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: MSG
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -5
Current Betting Line: Indiana -6
Opening Total: 190.5
Current Total: 190.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Bulls Pacers NBA Playoff Series Preview — The Indiana Pacers have dropped both meetings against the New York Knicks this season

New York heads out on the road for two games against Eastern Conference opponents, as it comes off a 91-75 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers as 11-point home favorites. The Knicks are without two key starters in the lineup, as point guard Jeremy Lin just underwent knee surgery, while power forward Amare Stoudemire continues to be out with a back injury. The team is 9-16 overall on the road this year, including a 7-9 mark versus opponents out of the East. New York is 10-3 ATS versus Central division opponents and the “under” is 7-6 in that situation.

The Knicks are looking to sweep the season series with the Pacers for the first time since the 1993-94 season, as they’ve won both meetings earlier this year. New York has also covered both contests, which includes a 102-88 victory as four-point road underdogs on March 17. Lin’s production will be missed in this matchup, scoring a team-high 19 points in the last meeting, while averaging 18.5 points and 7.6 assists in his last 26 games overall.

Indiana returns home after splitting a two-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, while the team has gone “over” the total in six of its last 10 games overall. The Pacers tallied a 104-102 overtime win as 3.5-point underdogs on Sunday night. Forward Danny Granger led the charge in scoring 32 points in that affair, hitting 6 of 8 shots from beyond the arc. It was only his third game of scoring 30-plus points during the 2011-12 campaign. Indiana is 10-13 ATS at home and the “under” is 13-10 in those contests.

The Pacers are 16-7 overall inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which includes a solid 11-5 mark versus conference opponents. Indiana has won six of its last nine games overall and trail the Orlando Magic by a half-game for the No. 3 spot in the East standings in terms of playoff seeding. Offensively, the team will try and reach the century mark, as it has posted a 15-4 record when doing so this year. Hitting that number may prove difficult in facing a defense that is limiting opponents to just 84.0 points per game over its last five games.