With a win tonight, the New York Knicks will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. However, the home team has won every game in this series thus far and the Indiana Pacers will be looking to make sure that trend continues as they try to force a Game 7. Two players I will be looking to back for NBA player props today are Donte DiVincenzo and Ben Sheppard.
Donte DiVincenzo Over 3.5 Made Threes (+136)
8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
DraftKings
DiVincenzo has been quiet in the last two games of this series, scoring 15 points combined. However, prior to that he scored 20 points in four consecutive games. That includes a playoff career-high 35 points in Game 3 in Indiana. Most of his damage has come from behind the arc.
During his 20-point game streak, DiVincenzo made five 3s in four straight games, including 17 against Indiana. In that stretch, he attempted at least nine in all four games. That number has been cut to six per game over the last and he has made just 1-of-12 3-point attempts.
However, tonight I believe DiVincenzo will get closer to 10 than six attempts. When Jalen Brunson has not been bothered by a foot injury, he has had his way with Indiana's defense. If he attracts a little more attention and double teams tonight, that might lead to a few open attempts for DiVincenzo. If he knocks down two wide open looks early, we'll only need two more from him. He shot 40.1 from 3 in the regular season and is not far off in the postseason (39.8%). He will cash this line if he makes 4-for-10 from 3 tonight.
Ben Sheppard Over 5.5 Points (+112)
8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
FanDuel
Two made 3s will get Sheppard over this line and he has done so in 3-of-5 games in this series and six of 11 in the playoffs. However, he is averaging 6.2 points per game this postseason. While some role players are much better at home, Sheppard has been consistent overall. As a result, he has hit this line in 8-of-11 games.
In the playoffs, Sheppard is shooting 49% from the field and 47% from deep. His hot shooting has helped him earn four more minutes per game in the playoffs. He also played a career-high 25 minutes in Game 5. The blowout certainly played a factor, but it is also a sign that he is earning the trust of head coach Rick Carlisle.
If Sheppard gets 20 minutes again tonight, I like his chances of scoring six points. He will get a few open looks whether Tyrese Haliburton or T.J. McConnell is at the helm. If he hits this line with 3s, you can also back him for two 3s at +170 on DraftKings.
