The New York Knicks take on their crosstown rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, for an elite Eastern Conference battle on Wednesday night! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Nets-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Nets are inching closer to the 7-seed in the East but will likely end the season as the 8th seed and will participate in the play-in game for the 7th seed overall. It's been a rollercoaster of a season for the Nets but they are healthy right now and in contention to battle in the Eastern playoffs. Right now there are about four teams in the East who could make a run for the title, with the Nets being that 5th team. If they can make it out of the play-in game, they have a huge chance of upsetting whoever the 2-seed in the East will be. Right now, it's between the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Knicks are going to end the season after a horrible year. They had high expectations after making the playoffs last season. This year did not turn out great for them in any form but one thing is for sure and that is they have the talent to compete. If they can end this season strong they might carry that over to next season. The Knicks do have a chance to play spoilers for Brooklyn as they can make their play-in chances even tougher with a win against their rivals tonight.
Here are the Nets-Knicks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Nets-Knicks Odds
Brooklyn Nets: -5 (-110)
New York Knicks: +5 (-110)
Over: 229 (-110)
Under: 229 (-110)
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Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
The Nets are capable of covering this spread because they are going to be fighting for the 8-spot in the East. They have more to lose tonight whereas the Knicks don't have anything to lose. Sometimes that can be a bad thing for the team that has something to lose because they can overthink and have an off night. I don't expect that to happen, however, as the Nets are starting to really click.
The Nets are coming off a win over the Houston Rockets last night 118-105. Kyrie Irving scored 42 in the win as the Nets controlled that entire game from start to finish. On the other hand, though, they allowed Kevin Porter Jr. to score 36 and Jalen Green notched 30 in the loss. The Nets can score with ease, but they give up points just as easily. The Nets' defense will be their main priority going into the playoffs.
The Knicks don't have many scoring threats, so the Nets need to make sure RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley don't get into a rhythm, cause they are really the only two who could hurt them right now. Quickley is coming off a triple-double where he finished with a 20/10/10 line. The Nets will cover this spread if they find a way to defend better. Brooklyn has allowed 115.8 points per game over their last 10 games.
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks have a chance to cover this spread because the Nets will be playing on a back-to-back. That is always tough on a team, especially one that has some injuries. Seth Curry, Goran Dragic, and James Johnson all missed last night's game with injuries. Dragic and Johnson are currently day-to-day as Curry is out with an ankle injury. That gives the Knicks some hope tonight.
The Knicks are also missing some crucial players like Julius Randle who is out with a quad injury. Cam Reddish is now out for the season with a shoulder injury and Derrick Rose continues to miss time with an ankle injury. Injuries are a part of the game but one thing is for sure, and that is injuries have screwed both teams over this season.
These teams square off for the fourth and final time this season. Kevin Durant scored 53 the last time they met as the Nets won 110-107. These matchups tend to be closer than it should be.
Final Nets-Knicks Prediction & Pick
The Nets are 9-6 in the division as the Knicks are 4-10. Both teams are awful against the spread so I won't even mention it. Take the Nets to cover this spread as they are on the hunt for the title.
Final Nets-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Nets -5 (-110)
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