Top NCAA Football Handicappers

---

Sports Picks

• NFL Picks
• College Football Picks
• NBA Picks
• College Basketball Picks
• MLB Picks

---




NCAA Football Lines

• College Football Odds

---




Recommended Cappers

• Vernon Croy
• Doc's Sports
• Ben Burns
• Jimmy Boyd
• Tony George
• Jack Jones
• Matt Fargo
• Rocky Atkinson
• Steve Merril

Sports Trends

• Sports Trends

Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Picks, Predictions & Odds

Bet the College Football Picks Online at TopBet and Enjoy a Special 50% Deposit Bonus!

Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Picks, Predictions & Odds

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the pleasant surprises in the NBA this year, and that surprise has had some longevity, as they are in the hunt for one of the top four spots in the Eastern Conference. The New York Knicks are hanging on to the eighth spot, but recent struggles have put them on the brink and led to the abrupt resignation of their coach. Two of the higher-tempo teams in the East take the court Friday night in the Big Apple when the Pacers visit the Knicks for the first of a home-and-home back-to-back set. These two will play again Saturday in Indianapolis . Friday’s game will be the first of three regular-season meetings. Here is a look at tonight’s matchup, plus my final score prediction to help you with your NBA picks tonight.

Indiana Pacers (25-16) @ New York Knicks (19-24), 7:30 p.m. ET

The Pacers have been streaky of late. First, they won six straight; then they lost four in a row and now they’re working on consecutive wins following a 111-94 home win over Philadelphia and a 92-75 decision over Portland . Indiana has a winning record on the road (12-11), but have dropped their last three roadies and six of eight. Overall, the Pacers have done well by focusing more on the defensive end while still trying to be up-tempo. Indiana ranks fourth in the league in rebounding (43.6 pg) and fourth in scoring defense (92.1 ppg). However the team thrives when it is able to push the tempo. And that concept may have gotten a boost when the team acquired quick scoring guard Leandro Barbosa from Toronto in a trade. All five Indiana starters score in double-figures, and two top bench players are near that mark (George Hill and Tyler Hansbrough). Add Barbosa to the bench and suddenly the Pacers may become a scoring machine like Denver or Miami .

The Knicks, hanging by a thread to the No. 8 playoff spot, have scuttled of late with six straight losses before rebounding with a 121-79 win over Portland Wednesday night for interim coach Mike Woodson, who replaced Mike D’Antoni, who resigned Tuesday morning. The Knicks went well when Carmelo Anthony was out with a groin injury (seven straight wins, thanks to the emergence of Jeremy Lin), but they have struggled mightily since he came back into the lineup at full strength. New York is 10 th in the league in scoring (97.3 ppg) but a mediocre 16 th in scoring defense (96.1 ppg) but is weak on the glass (41. 8 rpg, 18 th in the league). Anthony and Stoudemire will be expected to carry the load if the Knicks are going to mount any new charge to solidify their playoff position.

The latest NBA odds list the Knicks as 4-point favorites, while the total is set at 199.5 points. On paper, the Pacers should walk in this game, but the Knicks might be ready to open up their offense with a new coach who is apparently looking to give Stoudemire and Anthony more freedom to play to their strengths. The Knicks will likely look like a different team, even with the same roster 72 hours earlier. But the Pacers have been successful all season with what they do, and what they’ve done is win on a pretty regular basis. The Pacers should have enough to win, but the Knicks will put up a battle and make this closer than it looks on paper.

Final Score Prediction: Pacers 100, Knicks 99