A controversial illegal screen call marred Game 1, but our same-game parlay for Game 2 between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden shall not.
Here's a look at our SGP and why each leg/prop warrants your attention.
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Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 Same-Game Parlay
Matchup Page: Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks, 8 p.m. ET
Expert Page: Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Game 2
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tyrese Haliburton OVER 16.5 Points | -128 |
| O.G. Anunoby OVER 6.5 Rebounds | -125 |
| T.J. McConnell OVER 10.5 Points | -113 |
| Overall | +521 |
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 1: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 16.5 Points
This player prop/leg comes from the absolute necessity for Tyrese Haliburton to shake off whatever rust he's dealing with mentally and on the hardwood, while enduring through the hamstring injury that may or may not be interfering with his performance.
Haliburton was a ghost in Game 1 registering six points and eight assists with some costly turnovers down the stretch of a close contest. It's the second time this postseason that he's failed to score 10 or more points, and with the OVER/UNDER set at 16.5 points by oddsmakers for Wednesday's action, the All-Star point guard has hit the OVER only three times and once by the slimmest of margins in Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks with 17 points.
He scored exactly 22 points twice against the Knicks during the regular season, with his line on Dec. 30 in a 14-point win at home also including a career-best 23 dimes, as well. We've seen countless times Haliburton be the be-all, end-all of the Pacers' offense, but he's become less and less of a focal point. His scoring has dropped from 20.1 per game across 69 games in 2023-24 to now just 14.6 through seven playoff games.
He'll be the scapegoat if Indiana goes down 0-2 heading back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, so I fully expect him to place an emphasis on scoring as opposed to simply being the setup guy.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 2: O.G. Anunoby OVER 6.5 Rebounds
With Mitchell Robinson now ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs due to a stress injury of his left ankle, the Knicks' depth shrinks even further to the point where the starters will be lucky to get a breather on the sidelines.
O.G. Anunoby is already averaging 41.7 minutes per game, which is somehow only third on the roster, as his on-court presence on the defensive end is an invaluable asset. It's simple math that more playing time equates to greater box scores, and for this leg, we're leaning on Anunoby's strong rebounding numbers as of late.
The 26-year-old forward grabbed nine boards in 42 minutes in Game 1, marking the third time in four attempts that he's finished with nine or more. All he needs is seven to reach the OVER on Wednesday, and recent history suggests he will.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 3: T.J. McConnell OVER 10.5 Points
Unlike New York, Indiana is rocking infinite depth with the highest-scoring second unit of both the regular and postseason. Its bench is currently contributing 32.9 points per game, which is 4.9 more points than the second-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves.
T.J. McConnell ranks fifth amongst all bench scorers at 10.7 points per game, and just dropped 20 on the Bucks in Game 6 prior to finishing with 18 in Game 1 versus the Knicks. He attempted 16 shots despite only playing 22 minutes on Monday, which was by far his largest output of the playoffs.
If Haliburton continues to shy away from shooting, which we hope won't be the case for the sake of his leg of this SGP, then McConnell will be the beneficiary of that as head coach Rick Carlisle calls his name to compensate for Haliburton's reluctancy.
