Who is the real team to beat in the Eastern Conference?
Analyzing whether the Celtics or Cavaliers are better built to advance to the NBA finals.
The No. 3-seeded New York Knicks will face the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
New York advanced with a 4-2 series win over Boston, while Indiana advanced with a 4-1 win over Cleveland. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is set for 7 p.m. CT Wednesday, May 21, in New York.
Here’s a look at how the Knicks-Pacers series is projected to play out:
Knicks vs Pacers series prediction, picks
Justin Martinez: Knicks, 4-3
Jalen Brunson is averaging 28.8 points per game this postseason despite being guarded by elite defenders such as Jrue Holiday and Ausar Thompson. He’ll now face Indiana, which doesn’t have a strong point-of-attack defender of its own. I’m expecting Brunson to come up big in this series, and New York’s wealth of high-level defenders will slow down a dangerous Indiana offense. Knicks in seven.
BetMGM: Knicks (-155) are the favorite to win the NBA playoff series vs Pacers
New York opened as a -155 favorite to beat Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals of the playoffs.
Series winner: New York -155 | Indiana +130Win in 4: New York +1100 | Indiana +1800Win in 5: New York +450 | Indiana +875Win in 6: New York +500 | Indiana +475Win in 7: New York +400 | Indiana +575
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 1 betting odds
Odds via BetMGM as of Saturday, May 17
Odds: New York by 4.5Over/under: 222.5Moneyline: New York -185 | Indiana +150
ESPN gives New York a 52.2% chance to win in Game 1 on Wednesday.
New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers playoff schedule
All times are Central Time (CT)
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