Knicks vs. Pacers pick against the spread, over/under for Game 4

Update: Both Haliburton and Nesmith are in for the Pacers. The lines haven’t shifted at all, so this was expected for the oddsmakers. I’ll stay with the Knicks as the ATS pick and the under on the total.

The second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs will continue on Sunday and the slate will open with the New York Knicks visiting the Indiana Pacers for Game 4 of their best-of-seven series. Tipoff for this Eastern Conference showdown is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on ABC.

Indiana was able to get on the board in the series on Friday, cutting the deficit to 2-1 in a 111-106 victory over New York in Game 3. This was an extremely tight contest late and it was decided when Andrew Nembhard buried a clutch step-back three with 16.4 seconds left to put the Pacers up. Tyrese Haliburton led with 35 points as the home team took advantage of the Knicks missing OG Anunoby due to a hamstring injury.

A noticeable difference for the Pacers in Game 3 was on the glass, particularly on the offensive end. Indy was -18 in rebounding through the first two games, but managed to win the rebound battle against New York on Friday. The team scored 56 points in the paint to NY’s 40 and if it can put together a similar effort, it will have a great shot at tying this series.

On the injury front, OG Anunoby (hamstring) has been ruled out for a second straight game for the Knicks. For the Pacers, both Tyrese Haliburton (back spasms/ankle) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle) have been listed as questionable.

Indiana enters the game as a 5.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 218.5. The Pacers are listed as a -218 moneyline favorite, making the Knicks a +180 underdog.

Knicks vs. Pacers, 3:30 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Knicks +5.5

New York is an NBA-best 22-11-1 against the spread following a loss this year, so it has plenty of experience getting back up after a setback. The Knicks will have to try to overcome the absence of Anunoby for a second straight game, but this is the exact type of scenario where you could see a Tom Thibodeau team mucking things up and turning it into a dogfight. I’ll take the Knicks to cover in a game that once again gets decided in the final minute.

Over/Under: Under 218.5

One thing to consider is that Haliburton is dealing with some injuries of his own heading into this matchup and that could affect his ability to be the scoring threat that Indy needs him to be. Between this and the Knicks locking in defensively, I can see this being a matchup where both teams struggle to crack 100 points. I’ll take the under.