The New York Knicks continue their west-coast trip with a stop in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Knicks-Clippers prediction and pick.

These teams are in similar positions in their respective conferences heading into this Sunday matinee. The Knicks currently hold the fourth seed in the east with several teams on their tail. The Clippers are sitting in the third spot in the west with a 1.5 game lead over the Nuggets with five games to play. Which team will gain some ground in their push for the playoffs?

Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Knicks-Clippers odds.

NBA Odds: Knicks-Clippers Odds

New York Knicks +7.5 (-115)

Los Angeles Clippers -7.5 (-105)

Over 215 Points (-110)

Under 215 Points (-110)

Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread

Knicks, Julius Randle

The New York Knicks certainly aren't the luckiest team in the league with their closing schedule. They are currently in the heat of a six-game western road trip as they battle for position in the Eastern Conference standings. After winning the first two games of this trip against the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, the Knicks have followed with two straight losses to the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. New York now closes the trip out with two straight games against the Los Angeles clubs on back-to-back days.

The Knicks have fallen down to earth over their last few games as the offensive production has regressed to what it was earlier in the season. The defense has been the best in the league all year long, but the Knicks struggle to win games when they can't match the defense with above-average offensive output. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett haven't slowed down however with 24 and 23 point outings in the recent loss, respectively. This team will live and die on the play of Derrick Rose and the outside shooters that round out this group.

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread

Rajon Rondo, Clippers
CP

The Los Angeles Clippers are primed for a deep postseason run with a stellar defense and a roster full of extremely efficient shooters. The Clippers are riding a ton of momentum as they went on a 17-3 run during a recent 20-game stretch just a few weeks ago. Although the Clippers did suffer a three-game losing streak last week, they are back on track with two straight wins against the Lakers and Raptors.

Los Angeles' recent losing streak exposed their inconsistency on the offensive end of the floor of late. When the offense stalls out on them, the Clippers tend to play down to their competition, which was shown in the game against the lackluster Toronto Raptors. The Clippers will have to move the ball against a stingy Knicks defense and look to create high-percentage looks for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers won the first matchup with the Knicks by 14 points back in January.

Final Knicks-Clippers Prediction & Pick

Although I do like the Clippers to ultimately win this ballgame, I don't see them covering this spread against the best cover team in the league this season. New York is a whopping 42-24-1 and 7-3 in their last 10 games against the spread. After two straight losses for the first time in a long while, it's hard to believe that the Knicks will come out flat in this matinee. New York will come out playing aggressive defense against a Clippers team that has exposed some weaknesses of late. In a game that will feature playoff intensity, look for the Knicks to keep it close throughout.

FINAL PICK: New York Knicks +7.5 (-115)