NBA picks: Knicks vs. Pacers prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Saturday, Dec. 30

Saturday’s NBA slate will feature the New York Knicks wrapping up its quick three-game road trip when visiting the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. ET.

New York (17-14) has dropped two straight games and is 24 hours removed from a 117-108 road loss to the Magic. A poor second quarter put the Knicks behind the eight-ball and they were not able to catch back up for the rest of the evening. Meanwhile, Indiana (16-14) returns home after taking out the Bulls in a 120-104 victory on Thursday. Tyrese Haliburton had himself a cool stat line with 21 points, 20 assists, and no turnovers in the win.

New York will play this game just hours after dealing RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for O.G. Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn.

On the injury front, Quentin Grimes (non-COVID illness) is questionable for the Knicks. For the Pacers, Bruce Brown (knee) will miss his fourth straight game while Isaiah Jackson (finger) is questionable.

Indiana enters the game as a 4.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by 248.5 total. The Pacers are listed as a -180 moneyline favorite, making the Knicks a +150 underdog.

Knicks vs. Pacers, 7 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Pacers -4.5

New York is understandably going to be in a weird transition period just hours after trading two significant contributors. The team will have be tweaking its lineups/rotations on the fly and on principle, I’ll take the Pacers to cover as the home favorite here.

Over/Under: Under 248.5

Indiana is the most over-friendly team in the league with an O/U record at 20-9-2 heading into tonight’s game. However, 248.5 may be a bit much for a game featuring a team that is undergoing a huge lineup shift. I’ll play it safe and lean towards the under.