Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers will try once more to knock out Jalen Brunson and the Knicks on Sunday, after New York won Game 5 at Madison Square Garden to stay alive. The Game 6 action tips off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 10:00.m. AEST.
The Sporting News will detail the NBA betting odds for this all-important clash, then preview the action and deliver our best bets, top player props, and final score prediction.
Will the Knicks notch the series at 3-3, continuing the improbable comeback from a 3-1 deficit? Or, will Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and the Pacers nail down the coffin and advance Indy to its first NBA Finals in a quarter-century?
Here's our betting preview for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Knicks and Pacers, including the odds, our line and over/under picks, and the top player props.
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 6: Head-to-head, line, over/under
All odds and props are from Sportsbet
- Head-to-head: Pacers ($1.59) | Knicks ($2.42)
- Line: Pacers -3.5 ($1.88) | Knicks +3.5 ($1.92)
- Over/under: O 219 ($1.90) | U 21 ($1.90)
The bookies played it safe with Game 5, making the home-team Knicks four-point favourites. They're doing the same with Indy in Game 6, projecting the Pacers to win and punch their ticket to the 2025 NBA Finals vs. Oklahoma City.
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 6 best bets and final score prediction
Finally, some drama. NBA fans haven't seen much of it since the Thunder-Nuggets series in the second round, but they're getting a heavy dose of it with this rivalry series. Indiana looked like it was en route to a gentleman's sweep, but New York punched back in a major way to extend the series and keep hope alive.
The craziest part about the Game 5 victory: New York didn't even play a particularly crisp game. It got sloppy, with the Knicks committing 15 turnovers and 22 fouls. Karl-Anthony Towns committed some on-brand awful fouls. Mikal Bridges had just 12 points, and OG Anunoby shot just 3-of-14. The team shot under 28 percent from three and a hair over 68 percent from the line.
However, Jalen Brunson proved his worth once again as the Clutch Player of the Year, scoring 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting. KAT also played aggressively once again, shooting 10-of-20 for 24 points and 13 rebounds. The Knicks also forced 20 Indy turnovers, limited Tyrese Haliburton's impact, and outscored the Pacers in the paint by a margin of 60-34.
Like Pascal Siakam said after the game, "they played harder." And effort's one thing Rick Carlisle can't coach. If New York continues to play with urgency and take away the Pacers' up-tempo track-meet style of play, New York has a great chance of winning this series. It was the better team all season, and Tom Thibodeau has finally started to trust his bench enough to help combat Indy's depth and avoid negative swings.
Of course, Thibodeau needs KAT to stop taking silly fouls at crucial points of the game. He also probably needs more out of Bridges, Anunoby and Josh Hart if New York expects to mount the road upset and force a winner-take-all showdown on Monday. But the Knicks showed us something on Thursday — true grit — and it's hard to see this epic series ending in anything less than a Game 7 slugfest.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Knicks 114, Pacers 105 — New York wins straight up (+145), while the score finishes just UNDER the projected total of 219.5.
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 6 top player prop bet
*KAT scratch fever* mini-multi ($1.95 with Sportsbet): Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Knicks: 20+ points and 10+ rebounds
Like yours truly has told his Knicks fan friends all postseason long, Karl-Anthony Towns playing aggressive, assertive basketball is the key to New York winning the East. When he gets after it, utilises his size and strength, and forces Indy to stop him, it has largely spelled success for Tom Thibodeau's squad.
The Knicks have gone 6-3 when KAT has scored 20-plus points and grabbed 10-plus boards during the playoffs. He has reached 20/10 in five of New York's past six games and eight of the past 10. If he doesn't reach at least 20 and 10 Sunday, the Knicks will probably get blown out. If you like the road 'dogs to cover, you should also be fine with making this very winnable mini-parlay.