NBA Basketball
2026-11-13 - New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Cup Group Stage
Friday 13th November 2026 - Scheduled 7pm EST
12am (British Time)
Preview
After both of these teams were beaten in the opening games at the NBA Cup, the loser of this one is effectively going to be eliminated before the Knock Out Rounds. This may not be a competition with the same history as the NBA Championship, but the New York Knicks (6-5) are the latest to realise that it can build momentum to take into the Playoffs having won the NBA Cup a few months before becoming NBA Champions for the first time in over fifty years.
The Knicks will finish up with home games against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers so will still feel in control of their own destiny, especially as the opening defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers has not been as damaging after the latter were beaten in the second round robin of Group games.
Before those games at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks travel to the Indiana Pacers (4-8) who are just 1-4 at home and who have been struggling massively without Tyrese Haliburton in the starting lineup.
The Pacers had lost seven of eight games, but managed to get the better of the Washington Wizards last time out, which will have given them a boost in confidence. They are hosting a New York Knicks team that just had a four game winning run snapped in a defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week, although that was not in the NBA Cup setting.
In the last couple of games, the Pacers have shown a bit more Offensive consistency, even without Haliburton, but the question remains whether they can impose themselves on this New York Defensive scheme. Prior to the loss against the Cavaliers, the Knicks had put together a solid four game run on this side of the court, which has eased the pressure on a rotation that is still finding their feet Offensively with the pressure of playing with greater expectations than any time in recent seasons.
This is a match up that may help the Knicks with the Indiana Pacers looking to shoot from inside the three point arc, but the New York Defenders being stronger in that area than when it has come to getting out to the spot up shooters. The Pacers may still try and exploit those problems, but they may not be as comfortable doing so without Tyrese Haliburton leading the team forward and this gives New York an opportunity to secure the road win.
Three point shooting has not been much of a problem for the Knicks in recent outings and that may be the key for them pulling clear in this one.
Size around the boards means the Knicks have real opportunities to pull down second opportunities when lining up their shots and there has been a decent balance to the way they have approached things on this side of the court.
It is the first meeting between the old rivals in the 2026/27 season, but the Knicks will remember the couple of blowout wins secured late in the last campaign.
The NBA Cup is also a unique setting of points differential being a tie-breaker within a Group and that has led to Head Coaches keeping the foot down even in blowout games. That should mean the Knicks have enough motivation to try and win big and they look the right side to back as they bid to bounce back from a defeat earlier in the week and within this NBA Cup Group.
Prediction
Lay the points with the road favourite in the middle of this NBA Cup Group Stage.
The Pick :
Indiana Pacers 102-112 New York Knicks
