New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers
Thursday, 1/10/13, 8:00 PM EST, TV: TNT
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -4.5
Current Betting Line: Indiana -5
Opening Total: 184
Current Total: 185
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
New York will try to bounce back from a 102-96 setback to the Boston Celtics as 7.5-point home favorites Monday, while going OVER the total for the fourth time in five contests. The Knicks have won eight of 10 games following a loss this season, but they’ll be playing without the services of leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, who will be serving a one-game suspension. Reserve guard J.R. Smith will need to continue putting up solid numbers, averaging 23.9 points over his last nine games. New York is 16-6 ATS as road underdogs of 3.5 to 6 points, which can’t be ignored when making your pro basketball picks Thursday night.
The Knicks are 10-7 away from Madison Square Garden this year, including a 6-2 mark versus Eastern Conference opponents. New York hasn’t lost a season series against Indiana since the 2007-08 campaign, with the squad capturing an 88-76 victory as seven-point home favorites in the first meeting this year, while going UNDER the posted total of 186.5. Anthony led the team with 26 points, while Smith contributed with 13.
Indiana has won four of its last five games, while the UNDER has cashed in each of those contest, including an 87-77 victory over the Miami Heat as two-point home underdogs with a posted total of 187. The Pacers have won eight of their last 10 games, as their allowing opponents to score just 89.5 points per game. The team is 13-3 when playing at Bankers Life Fieldhouse this year, including a 6-1 mark versus conference rivals. Indiana is 3-0 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 6 points this season, something to consider when looking over the pro basketball odds page.
The Pacers are definitely playing better basketball than most of the experts expected, considering they’ve been without last year’s leading scorer Danny Granger for the entire season. Forward Paul George has filled the void, as he’s averaging 16.7 points per game.
Sports bettors will likely play the total, as the OVER is 2-0 in the Packers two games this year when revenging a road loss of 10 or more points, while the Knicks have gone above the number in five of their last six games versus conference foes.
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