[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
The New York Knicks (1-1) travel to meet the New Orleans Pelicans (1-0) Saturday. Tip-off from Smoothie King Center is set for 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Knicks vs. Pelicans odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; tied 1-1 last season
New York beat the Atlanta Hawks Friday in a 126-120 battle, covering as a 1-point favorite. New York was lifted to the win thanks to G Jalen Brunson and G RJ Barrett combining for 57 points on 11-for-17 shooting from 3. The Knicks’ key to success in this win was 3-point efficiency as they shot 45.5% (20-44) from beyond the arc as a unit.
New Orleans picked up a 111-104 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in its season opener Wednesday, covering as a 1-point underdog. The Pelicans’ stars carried in the win as F Zion Williamson, F Brandon Ingram and G CJ McCollum combined for 66 total points. New Orleans allowed this to be a much closer game than it needed to be thanks to the Pelicans committing 21 turnovers.
Knicks at Pelicans odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:15 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Knicks +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | Pelicans -150 (bet $150 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Knicks +3.5 (-115) | Pelicans -3.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 223.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
Knicks at Pelicans key injuries
Knicks
- Not Yet Submitted
Pelicans
- G Jose Alvarado (ankle) out
- G Trey Murphy III (knee) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Knicks at Pelicans picks and predictions
Prediction
Pelicans 113, Knicks 108
Moneyline
BET PELICANS (-150).
I like this to be a game that will come down to which duo plays the best, and I like the duo of F Zion Williamson and F Brandon Ingram more than the duo of F Julius Randle and Brunson. I also like the Pelicans’ surrounding pieces as they have guys that can defend and a big that can rebound, bruise and stretch in Jonas Valanciunas. New Orleans is the more well-rounded team and I like their star power over that of New York.
Against the spread
LEAN PELICANS -3.5 (-105).
I liked what I saw from New York shooting wise in the win vs. Atlanta, but there were a lot of things that needed fixing as well. New York only won by 6 despite holding all-star G Trae Young to 18 points. The Knicks were outscored in the paint 54-40 vs. an Atlanta team will forwards much less skilled offensively than that of the Pelicans, and they turned the ball over 16 times. Look for those trends to continue and for New York to revert back to the mean 3-point shooting wise.
Over/Under
LEAN UNDER 223.5 (-110).
New York is coming off a very hot shooting night, but I don’t expect that to continue. I expect F Herbert Jones should have some success containing the shooting of Barrett and will be able to limit his overall impact on offense. I expect the Knicks to have some trouble scoring from the perimeter, and I also like the Knicks to turn the ball over at least 15 times, further preventing them from scoring the ball.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow @payton_shanks on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
Access more NBA coverage:
HoopsHype | Bulls Wire | Celtics Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Spurs Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | LeBron Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1368]
