The New York Knicks (11-9) take a short commute to Barclays Center for a 7:30 p.m. ET game against the Brooklyn Nets (14-6) Tuesday. Below, we look at the Knicks vs. Nets odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions, and bets.
New York has alternated between winning and losing over its last eight games (3-5 ATS) with the latest being a 99-90 victory Saturday at the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks are 9-11 ATS and 7-13 O/U with the 17th-best net rating (minus-0.2).
Brooklyn had its four-game win streak snapped Saturday in a 113-107 home loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Nets are 9-11 ATS and 9-11 O/U with the sixth-best net rating (plus-4.0).
The Nets beat the Knicks in all three regular-season meetings last year but New York covered two of those contests and the Over cashed in each game. Also, the Knicks have covered in six of their last seven meetings with the Nets.
Knicks at Nets odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:57 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Knicks +210 (bet $100 to win $210) | Nets -270 (bet $270 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Knicks +6.5 (-115) | Nets -6.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 216.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
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Knicks at Nets key injuries
Knicks
- PG Derrick Rose (ankle) questionable
- SF RJ Barrett (illness) questionable
- C Taj Gibson (groin) questionable
- C Nerlens Noel (knee) questionable
Nets
- SG Joe Harris (ankle) out
- C Nicolas Claxton (illness) out
Knicks at Nets odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Nets 106, Knicks 103
Money line
PASS with a slight “lean” towards the Knicks (+210) because it’s a fat payout and I like New York getting the points in this game.
However, Brooklyn has a much better clutch net rating and if Knicks-Nets comes down to the final possessions, which it should, then it’s hard to not side with F Kevin Durant in this one.
Against the spread
“LEAN” to the KNICKS +6.5 (-115) for a half-unit because most of the market is on the Nets but I don’t see 6.5 points worth of difference between the current versions of these teams. Also, the Knicks have played much better on the road than the Nets have at home.
New York is 6-3 overall on the road with the fifth-best efficiency differential and fifth-best ATS margin, according to CleaningTheGlass.com. Whereas Brooklyn is 6-4 with the 17th-ranked efficiency differential and 25th-best ATS margin at home.
My hesitation with the Knicks +6.5 (-112) in this spot is New York is going through lineup changes and is still figuring out its best rotations. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau announced Monday that PG Kemba Walker is no longer in the rotation and SG Alec Burks will take over as the starter.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 216.5 (-115), which is my favorite play in this contest.
First of all, the Under has been hit by “sharp line movement” as the Knicks-Nets opened with a 217-point total and has been lowered despite more action being on the Over, according to the Yahoo! Sports App.
New York does a good job defending what Brooklyn does often. The Nets play a lot of isolation basketball and attempt a bunch of mid-range jumpers, but the Knicks have the seventh-best defensive efficiency vs. isolation offense and sixth-best defensive field goal percentage vs. mid-range shots per CleaningTheGlass.com.
On top of that, Brooklyn’s defense is underrated. The Nets have the best effective field goal shooting allowed and the eighth-best defensive rating.
Essentially, I’m expecting a rock-fight between two teams that play a lot of isolation basketball and have a combined 16-24 O/U record this year. Plus there might be value in zagging on the trend of all three Knicks-Nets games last season going Over the total.
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