Best NBA Prop Bets Today for Pacers vs. Knicks Game 5 (Fade Jalen Brunson Amidst Foot Injury)

Game 5 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers could – and likely will – swing the series after both teams held serve at home in Games 1 through 4.

However, the injury to OG Anunoby has exposed New York’s lack of remaining depth and defense in the last two games, and the Knicks are just 13-16 without him this season. 

How does that factor into betting in the prop market? 

There are three plays that I’m looking at for this game, including a play for a Knicks bench piece that has been thrust into a major role over the last two games. Plus, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton are intriguing candidates to bet on tonight as well. 

Let’s break down each of these picks: 

Pacers vs. Knicks Best NBA Prop Bets

• Tyrese Haliburton OVER 33.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-112)
• Alec Burks OVER 9.5 Points (+102)
• Jalen Brunson UNDER 32.5 Points (-120)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Tyrese Haliburton OVER 33.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-112)

Tyrese Haliburton has been the best player on the floor over the last few games of this series, registering 49, 46 and 31 points, rebounds and assists over those contests. 

While bettors may look at the 31 as a reason to stay away from Hali, that came in the blowout win for Indiana in Game 4 when he played just 27:32 – by far his lowest minutes of the playoffs. 

Haliburton has cleared this line on points alone twice in this series, and I wonder if his passing (he averaged 10.9 assists per game in the regular season) becomes a bigger factor after finishing with seven or fewer assists in two straight games. 

New York has given Haliburton a ton of good looks from 3, and he’s responded, shooting 17-for-37 from in the last three games. If he’s going to see usage at that level as a scorer, he’s a must bet to clear this prop on Tuesday. 

Alec Burks OVER 9.5 Points (+102)

With so many bodies out, Tom Thibodeau has turned to veteran Alec Burks off the bench the last two games, and he’s responded with two great scoring performances. 

In Game 3, Burks scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in just over 21 minutes, getting to the line five times and knocking down a pair of 3-point shots. He followed that up with 20 points (albeit many in garbage time) in Game 4, getting to the free-throw line for 10 attempts. 

Burks is a natural scorer, and he’s earned back Thibs’ trust in the rotation with the Knicks having no other options for bench scoring. I expect him to see solid minutes for the third straight game, and since he’s in there to score, don’t be shocked if Burks finds himself in double figures for the third straight contest. 

Jalen Brunson UNDER 32.5 Points (-120)

I am worried about fading Jalen Brunson because he’s gone nuclear several times this postseason, but he’s failed to clear this prop in all three of his games since injuring his right foot. 

The All-Star guard missed a ton of shots short in Game 4, a sign of fatigue and injury since he’s not getting nearly as much lift on his jumper. 

Aaron Nesmith has made things a little tougher on Brunson the last two games, and the Knicks guard shot just 16-for-43 from the field in Indiana.

Brunson’s usage is going to be there, but I can’t get all the way to this number knowing that he’s banged up. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.