Knicks are clinging to NBA Championship hopes heading into Game 5 vs. Indiana Pacers.
Knicks are a heavy favorite at a new sports betting alternative, Kalshi.
The New York Knicks look to keep their NBA championship hopes alive when they face the Indiana Pacers on May 29 for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Prediction market platform Kalshi has emerged as a popular legal sports betting alternative and has attracted a lot of trading volume with their NBA playoff and other sports markets, including on the outcome of the Knicks vs. Pacers Game 5 matchup.
Sign up for Kalshi today to trade on Knicks vs. Pacers Game 5 predictions.
Indiana comes into New York Thursday night for Game 5 up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, with a chance to punch their ticket to the team’s first NBA finals since 2000. That was also the last time New York was in the conference finals, losing the series to the Pacers 4-2.
The Pacers were the underdogs in the series’ first two games at Madison Square Garden, while the odds favored the Knicks to win Games 3 and 4. Indiana continued its impressive performance in playoff road games this year by shocking Knicks fans and winning Games 1 and 2 at MSG. The teams split the next two games in the series in Indianapolis, with the Knicks coming back from down 20 in Game 3 to keep their hopes alive. But Tyrese Haliburton’s triple-double helped fuel the Pacers’ confident Game 4 victory.
The odds at Kalshi’s market predicting the outcome of Thursday’s Game 5 have favored a Knicks win since the market opened on May 27. Based on trades in the market, by May 28, the Knicks were given a 64% chance of winning. Purchasing $100 worth of “Yes” contracts for New York to win at 64 cents per contract would net a user $57 in profit (plus the $100 from the initial stake).
How to bet Knicks vs. Pacers at sportsbook alternative Kalshi
The 2025 Eastern Conference finals have been especially thrilling so far, with dramatic come-from-behind wins and buzzer beaters. Kalshi’s Game 5 odds are right around where the odds are at traditional sportsbooks. These individual NBA game markets are akin to moneyline bets at a sportsbook. Around the same time on May 28, DraftKings had the odds of the Pacers winning at +160, which means they were given about a 38.5% chance.
While there are similarities between Kalshi’s and sportsbooks’ game and futures markets, there are some key differences. At Kalshi, for example, you can trade contracts consistently from tip-off until the final buzzer and watch in real time as the odds fluctuate. Sportsbooks, meanwhile, will often suspend moneyline betting during live games to adjust odds based on what’s happening.
Kalshi’s advantages for in-game betting were on full display during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, as the Pacers fell behind by 14 points with just three minutes remaining in regulation. While sportsbooks suspended moneyline betting at that point, Kalshi trading remained open. With the odds favoring the Knicks to win reaching 99%, Kalshi users were able to buy Pacers-win contracts for 1 cent. That means anyone who put $10 on Indiana to win at that time would have received $1000.
Sportsbooks do feature more sports betting types than Kalshi. Wagers on things like point spreads and totals, as well as player and game props, aren’t available at prediction markets at the moment, but could be coming in the future.
Like sportsbooks, Kalshi does allow users to bet on various sports futures, including playoff series and championships.
Those who think the Knicks will pull things together and win the next three games against the Pacers can purchase contracts in Kalshi’s Eastern Conference Finals Winner market that could be quite valuable. On May 28, New York had just a 16% chance of winning the conference championship. At 16 cents per “Yes” contract predicting a Knicks series win, $100 worth of contracts would win $625 if the prediction proves true.
And if you think the Knicks will win the NBA finals, you can find even more value in Kalshi’s Pro Men's Basketball Champion market. New York had just a 4% chance of winning it all, as of May 28. Oklahoma City has been the favorite to win the NBA championship since the market opened in January. Following their Game 4 win over Minnesota on May 26, odds of the Thunder emerging victorious in the NBA finals jumped to an all-time high of just over 77%, then reached 78% the next day.
