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The New York Knicks host the Utah Jazz for an interconference battle at MSG! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Jazz are coming off an interesting NBA trade deadline which resulted in them trading away Mike Conley Jr. for Russell Westbrook. That was followed up by a huge win over the Toronto Raptors 122-116 in which they scored 39 points in the 4th quarter. Lauri Markkanen is having himself a monster season and as a result, was named starter for the NBA All-Star Game next weekend.
The Knicks didn't make many moves but did make the one trade that made Jalen Brunson the happiest. NY sent Cam Reddish to the Portland Trail Blazers for Josh Hart, Brunson's former teammate at Villanova. Hart and Brunson had Villanova on top of the world during their time there as they won two NCAA Tournaments in 2016 and 2018. Hart is expected to make his debut for the Knicks tonight in a scenario where the Knicks need a win.
Here are the Jazz-Knicks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Jazz-Knicks Odds
Utah Jazz: +6 (-110)
New York Knicks: -6 (-110)
Over: 229.5 (-110)
Under: 229.5 (-110)
How To Watch Jazz vs. Knicks
TV: MSG Network, AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain
Article Continues Below
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:30 ET/4:30 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Jazz rallied big time last night to come away with the comeback win. The Toronto Raptors stormed out to a big lead but the Jazz didn't quit, despite not having their star point guard any longer. Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler, and Markkanen are becoming a serious problem in this league. They each scored 22+ points and combined for 68 in the win. It's unclear if Westbrook will remain in Utah but they have given him the opportunity to play out the season there. He could help that young team remain aggressive which is needed in this league.
Jordan Clarkson is currently questionable with a non-covid illness and he is the only one on the injury report. If the trio of Sexton, Kessler, and Markannen continue to play well then I don't see how they don't cover this spread on the road in New York. Utah is (31-26) against the spread this season.
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks played very well in the first half of the game last night against the Sixers. However, a second-half collapse saw Joel Embiid take over to stun the Knicks. NY scored just 15 points in the 4th quarter. Despite Julius Randle going for 30 and 10 and Jalen Brunson scoring 30, they just could not get it done when it mattered. Not having Mitchell Robinson proved to be the reason why Embiid was able to do what he does with ease. Robinson is out for quite some time recovering from thumb surgery.
The Knicks have a chance to gain ground in the East with the Nets forced to get rid of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. They need to take advantage of the opportunity but the problem has been that the Knicks can't remain consistent. Their upcoming schedule allows them to do that as their next five games against favorable opponents. With a (30-27) record, the Knicks are right in the middle of things. NY is (29-26-2) ATS.
Final Jazz-Knicks Prediction & Pick
Both sides are on a back-to-back but considering how different each team's 4th quarter was last night, I'm taking the Jazz to cover six on the road.
Final Jazz-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Jazz +6 (-110)
