The 2025 NBA Eastern Conference finals continue on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET when the New York Knicks host the Indiana Pacers for Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers won Game 4, 130-121, behind a triple-double from Tyrese Haliburton and hold a 3-1 series advantage. Haliburton has paced Indiana, averaging 19.4 points, 9.8 assists, and 5.9 rebounds in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Jalen Brunson leads the way for New York, averaging 29.9 points and 7.1 assists during the postseason. The Knicks are 4-point favorites in the latest Pacers vs. Knicks odds for Game 5, while the over/under for total points scored is 223.5.
SportsLine expert handicapper Jimmie Kaylor has broken down the NBA odds and locked in three first basket scorer prop bets for Knicks vs. Pacers Game 5 on Thursday. He has identified three first basket scorer prop bets for Game 5 to take advantage of BetMGM’s Second Chance promotion, with his second favorite being Haliburton. All three picks come with potential plus-money payouts. New users can take advantage of the BetMGM promo code offering up to $1,500 in bonus bets if their first bet loses.
BetMGM is offering users ‘second chance’ insurance for every game throughout the NBA playoffs. Users pick the player they think will score first in the game. If it’s not their player, but their player ultimately scores the second field goal of the game, they get their stake back. In addition, check out our best NBA player prop picks for Thursday and our Knicks vs. Pacers Same Game Parlay for Game 5.
Kaylor has been profitable as a handicapper across multiple sports since joining SportsLine, and his background as a former college and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his online sports betting picks.
Here are his top three choices for first basket:
Mikal Bridges (+625)Tyrese Haliburton (+1050)Karl-Anthony Towns (+500)
Mikal Bridges first field goal scorer (+625)
The Knicks have won the opening tip in three of four games in this series, and I expect them to have the first possession in Game 5 on Thursday…
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