The Denver Nuggets (10-11) travel to Madison Square Garden Saturday to take on the New York Knicks (11-11). Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Nuggets vs. Knicks odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Nuggets kicked off a seven-game road trip out East with a 9-point win over the Heat. Miami was shorthanded. The Nuggets will head up north to MSG now.
Led by C Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets are 8-13, the second-worst team in the NBA against the spread. They’ve disappointed almost as much as the Julius Randle-led Knicks. New York is 10-12 ATS.
The Nuggets and Knicks respectively rank 19th and 18th in net rating. Both haven’t lived up the expectations they set last season. The home side will enter as the favorite.
Nuggets at Knicks odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:15 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Nuggets +102 (bet $100 to win $102) | Knicks -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Nuggets +1.5 (-108) | Knicks -1.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 210.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Nuggets at Knicks key injuries
Nuggets
- G Austin Rivers (health and safety) out
- F Michael Porter Jr. (back) out
Knicks
- C Nerlens Noel (knee) questionable
Nuggets at Knicks odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Knicks 106, Nuggets 101
Money line
BET on the KNICKS -125 as the best value in this game. New York is coming off two straight losses, one to the Nets and the other to the Bulls. They need to get back on track.
The Nuggets give up the 7th-highest free throw attempt rate to their opponents. The Knicks, on the other hand, rank 9th in free throw attempts per game. They should be able to get some easy points from the line in this one.
Another necessary thing to note is the strength of New York’s bench.
The Knicks bench ranks third in scoring while the Nuggets are 26th. With two potential starters sidelined, the Nuggets won’t be able to keep pace in this game, especially with a long road trip ahead.
This seems like a game the Knicks have to have, and with Mitchell Robinson able to show size on Jokic, there’s potential for them to slow the MVP down. With Porter Jr. out, Jokic’s options will also be limited.
Combine it all, and the Knicks to win feels like the best bet.
Against the spread
PASS on the spread. For the mere one point-and-a-half, I’d prefer playing the money line in this one.
Over/Under
“LEAN” on the UNDER 210.5 (-110) as the better side of the total. As noted, the Nuggets aren’t deep. On top of that, they have the third-slowest pace.
Teams like Denver and Philadelphia, even New York to an extend, rely on their big men in the half court to get the job done. The Nuggets play slowly, as do the Knicks, who rank 25th in pace.
This should be a slow game, especially down several key scorers for the road side. Both teams rank in the top 20 defensively, so while not great, they’re capable at best.
With that in mind, I’d prefer to play the Under here.
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