The New Orleans Pelicans (16-28) travel to Madison Square Garden Thursday to take on the New York Knicks (22-23). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Pelicans vs. Knicks odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Knicks are coming into this game with just one day of rest following a brutal 2-point loss to the Timberwolves.
New York did cover as 4-point home underdogs. The Knicks have covered in four of their last five games. At home, they’ve oddly been worse at home as well, just 11-13 at MSG as compared to 11-10 on the road.
That said, the Pelicans have covered four of their last six, failing to cover in Boston despite jumping out to an early double-digit lead. New Orleans is just 6-17 overall on the road and 6-13 against the spread (ATS) as a road underdog.
Pelicans at Knicks odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:15 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Pelicans +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Knicks -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Pelicans +4.5 (-112) | Knicks -4.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 209.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Pelicans at Knicks key injuries
Pelicans
-
G Devonte’ Graham (ankle) questionable
Knicks
- C Nerlens Noel (knee) out
- G Derrick Rose (ankle) out
- G Cam Reddish (ankle) out
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Pelicans at Knicks odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Pelicans 104, Knicks 99
Money line
SPRINKLE on the PELICANS (+145).
The Pelicans are one of the most aggressive teams in the league behind big man Jonas Valančiūnas. They rank first in defensive rebounding and fourth in offensive rebounding.
Meanwhile, the Knicks sit 13th in defensive rebounding. Since New York is 22nd in true shooting percentage and New Orleans ranked 26th, neither has consistently shot well this season.
The Knicks, who rank 18th in net rating, are worse than their record suggests. While New York big Mitchell Robinson has been playing well, Valanciunas should be able to bully the young big man, especially considering Big Val’s ability to shoot from deep.
Against the spread
BET on the PELICANS +4.5 (-112).
The Pelicans also have Brandon Ingram who is arguably the best scorer in this game. The Knicks defense has regressed from last season and I expect the Pelicans two stars to shine.
Also, the Pelicans are 6-4 ATS with a rest advantage. The Knicks are 11-19 ATS with one day off as well.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the UNDER 209.5 (-110).
I don’t love the lower total here, but neither team has covered the Over at a high rate. The Knicks are just 19-26 O/U and the Pelicans are 18-25-1 O/U this season.
New Orleans is just 1-5 O/U in their last six games. Both teams also rank in the bottom 10 in opponents’ turnovers, so this should be a half-court battle. Lastly, the Knicks rank dead last in pace with the Pelicans at No. 20.
Considering that and the trends, I’ll take the UNDER 209.5 (-110).
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