Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks will give one of these teams the edge in this second-round series, breaking the current 2-2 score across the first four contests. The home team has won every game so far, but only one has been a true blowout. The Knicks will hope to find some magic as they continue to battle significant injuries, while the Pacers look to carry over some of their Game 4 magic as the series heads back to the Big Apple.
Here’s a look at some of our favorite player prop bets to target for Game 5 Tuesday, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Haliburton was abysmal in the opening game of this series, scoring just six points on two made shots. He has changed things around in a big way since then, averaging 29.7 points per game over the next three contests. The Pacers guard has gone over this mark twice in those three games, and would’ve gone over had Game 4 been closer. Despite Haliburton being less than 100%, I expect him to continue his scoring run in Game 5.
It’s impossible to get rebounds when your opponent makes every shot. That’s what happened in Game 4, leaving Hart with just three rebounds in 23 minutes of action. The forward got some much-needed rest though, logging less than 40 minutes for the first time in these playoffs. He now returns home and should be a bit more fresh, which will give him the energy to once again be a force on the glass. Hart averaged 15.3 rebounds per game in the first three games of the series and I think he’ll be closer to that level in Game 5 tonight. He’ll go over this line.
Indiana’s backup point guard is averaging 12.3 points, 6.5 assists and 3 rebounds per game in this series coming off the bench. He’s getting more playing time thanks to his production, which should allow him to top this line Tuesday. The Knicks will try to contain McConnell but they simply don’t have the depth to handle every single threat the Pacers have. New York will have to pick and choose its spots to be aggressive defensively, and I think McConnell’s usage has been strong enough in this series to where he’ll go over this line.
New York’s young guard has gone over this line each of the last two games thanks to an increase in minutes. McBride has been part of the rotation for most of the season but his current role has been expanded due to injuries. He actually shot the ball much better on the road than at home during the season, though he still managed to can 37.8% of his deep shots at Madison Square Garden. I think McBride will have enough volume Tuesday to get above this mark.
