NBA playoffs: A pair of picks for Pacers and Knicks

We have a pair of Game 6s this evening in the NBA, and we'd like to attack them both, built on who we foresee winning. Milwaukee escaped Game 5 with a win when no one gave them a chance, and we think Indiana cleans things up and takes care of business. Elsewhere, this Sixers-Knicks series has been a physical, back-and-forth affair, but ultimately we have the feeling New York nabs this one.

Backing a pair of NBA props that tend to win when their teams do

Tyrese Haliburton over 10.5 assists (+124 DraftKings)

If Indiana is going to win, their star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has to be a big reason why. In their two losses to Milwaukee this series, Haliburton has just eight and six helpers, and on the season, he averages 9.9 assists per game in Pacers defeats.

On the flip side, Haliburton averages 11.4 assists per game in Indiana's 43 wins this year, including two of three this series finishing with 12 and 16 assists. 

We like Hali to spread the wealth and get his teammates involved as the Pacers look to close out this series at home.

Josh Hart over 11.5 rebounds (+105 DraftKings)

This is a crazy line for a SF, but such is the nature of where Josh Hart has been able to take his game this season. His success on the boards has been a massive reason why New York is sitting here up 3-2 in the series.

In the Knicks' two losses to Philly this round, Hart has finished with six and nine boards, but when they win, Hart has gobbled up rebounds.

In their three wins, Hart has tallied 13, 15 and 17 rebounds, just some absurd numbers. In a physical game, we like Hart to get active on the boards, and he's averaging 13 rebounds per game in nine meetings with Philadelphia this season.

In the news ...

Celtics advance; Mavericks pull ahead — Boston easily handled business against the Miami Heat, crushing them 118-84 with a pair of big nights from Derrick White and Jaylen Brown. The Kristaps Porzingis injury obviously matters, but the Celtics have the depth to still take care of things until he can return. The Celtics await the winner of the Cavaliers-Magic series. Elsewhere, Dallas beat down on the Clippers, winning by 30 and moving one game away from advancing to meet the Thunder.

Oilers advance; Stars win again — The Edmonton Oilers are moving on once again thanks to a big second period from Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, and seem to offer Canada its best chance to break their Stanley Cup drought, as the Oilers are currently +475 to win it all, behind Carolina (+400) and Florida (+475). Meanwhile, after dropping the first two games at home, the Dallas Stars have now rattled off three straight wins and have a chance to secure the series win over Vegas tomorrow night. We like them to do so at -125.

Get prepped for the Kentucky Derby this weekend — We are now just two days away from the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and now seems like a great time to take stock of the horses and find us some choices worth backing. Luckily, our friends over at Action Network have experts in it all, and horse racing is no different. A few of their best bets include Fierceness at 3-2 and Domestic Product at 30-1. Read on for why these horses catch the experts eyes, and load up some bets of your own to make Saturday's event a bit more entertaining.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.