The New York Knicks head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets at the Barclays Center on Monday. The Knicks will be looking to avoid a sweep in the battle for New York. The battles between these two teams are always exciting and full of energy. The Knicks defeated the Pistons by a large margin on Saturday night and hope to bring that momentum into this matchup. The Nets had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Knicks-Nets prediction and pick.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Knicks-Nets odds.
NBA Odds: Knicks-Nets Odds
New York Knicks +4.5 (-106)
Over 216.5 Points (-110)
Under 216.5 Points (-110)
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks have been an incredible story this season behind new head coach Tom Thibodeau. They have completely shifted the culture and now have all of the makings of a rebuilding team trending upward. They have been slightly inconsistent since the All-Star break with a 6-7 record, though. New York currently sits in seventh in the Eastern Conference. Saturday night's blowout win against the Detroit Pistons is exactly what the Knicks needed to get back on track down the stretch.
The win in Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak. The defense has been consistently great for New York all year long. The offense has struggled at times, but showed a lot of life in the recent win. Julius Randle dropped 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Five other players scored in double figures and the Knicks were able to eclipse the 120-point mark for the first time in five games. With Kevin Durant doubtful and James Harden questionable, the Knicks should have the edge against the Nets. New York is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games at the Barclays Center.
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
The Nets have won 10 of their 13 games since the All-Star break thanks to their ridiculous offensive output. They also recently acquired forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Steve Nash's group is locked-and-loaded for a championship run. They are entering this game with a bit of a black eye, though, after the depleted Nets were defeated by the Bulls just a day ago.
In their defense, Brooklyn was forced to play without Harden and KD once again. Steve Nash has said that Durant will likely make it back to the court this week, but Monday is certainly in question for the superstar forward. He has been out since Feb. 13, but that hasn't slowed this Nets team down much. Kyrie Irving will be the X-factor for Brooklyn against the Knicks. Irving has been great since the break, averaging 28.9 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Final Knicks-Nets Prediction & Pick
Many will be quick to jump on Brooklyn at home. I don't necessarily see that being a profitable move, though. Brooklyn seemed discombobulated on Sunday with such a shorthanded group. Chicago is talented, but the Knicks are slightly more talented and definitely more motivated. Brooklyn is not a great team on the back end of back-to-backs. The Nets are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games with no rest. The Knicks had a resounding win against Detroit and will enter this game with a ton of energy on both ends of the floor. New York has historically found a lot of success in Brooklyn, so look for more of that on Monday, though you may also want to wait and see the injury report to get a better idea on the status of the Nets' star players.
FINAL PICK: New York Knicks +4.5 (-106)
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