Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers will take place Monday evening, adding a new chapter to a once-heated rivalry that has cooled off over the past few decades but now gets revisited with a spot in the conference finals on the line.
Here’s a look at some of our favorite player prop bets to target for Game 1 Monday, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
The point guard is the engine of this Knicks team and has been on an absolute tear to begin these playoffs. Brunson averaged 35.5 points and 9 assists per game over the six games against the 76ers, putting up 41.8 points and 10.3 assists per game over the final four contests of the series. The Pacers do have some better secondary defenders on their team but it’s hard to see Brunson falling under this line Monday evening. In three games against Indiana this season, Brunson averaged 35.7 points and 3.7 assists per game. His improved assist numbers in the postseason should be enough to carry him past this mark.
Siakam started off the series against the Bucks with back-to-back 35+ point efforts, which set him to be a highly impactful player the rest of the way. He then fell off in a big way, averaging just 15.3 points per game. His perimeter shot wasn’t falling, as he hit just 14.3% of his triples over the final four games. With defenders like Josh Hart and OG Anunoby likely to be guarding him for most of the game, I think Siakam stays well under this line.
This is a high line for DiVincenzo, who has been one of the best bench players in the NBA this season. The shooting guard was slightly underwhelming against the 76ers, hitting his perimeter shots at a 36% clip. However, he did go over this line twice. He also went over this line twice in three games against the Pacers during the regular season. Indiana was a league-average side in three-point percentage allowed and DiVincenzo shot 40.1% from deep during the regular season. He should be closer to that number in this series and I think that jump up starts Monday.
The Pacers big man went over this line in three of the first four games against Milwaukee, but finished the series with two unders. He should have an easier time navigating New York’s frontcourt, which has been solid but remains a bit small thanks to the injuries to Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanovic. I don’t know that Turner dominates the glass but he should do enough to get over this line in Game 1.
