Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 1/23/2024

Doc’s Sports is the place to get all your New York Knicks betting needs this season. Throughout the year, I will be breaking down every single New York Knicks midweek regular season game and giving out best bets along the way. While we won’t always favor the Knicks, by using my knowledge of the team, and the league as a whole, we will be able to churn a consistent profit.

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On Thursday night, the Knicks successfully defended their home court, taking down the Washington Wizards 113-109. Jalen Brunson led the way with 41 points, while Isiah Hartenstein hauled in 17 rebounds. While New York would have enjoyed a more comfortable win against one of the league’s bottom feeders, they all count the same at the end of the season, and there will be no complaints from Tom Thibodeau.

From a betting perspective, we had another 2-1 night. The total stayed way under the 233.5 mark, for a no-sweat free victory, and Kyle Kuzma cashed a plus money prop on Under 6.5 Rebounds, as we correctly identified the Knicks advantage on the glass and scored a nice profit. Our lone loss was on the Knicks (-12), as while they won, they failed to cover the margin. 

The Knicks strung together their 3rd straight home win with a 126-100 beatdown against the Raptors on Saturday night, as Brunson had another fantastic game, pouring in 38 points. Julius Randle posted an 18/16/10 triple double, as the pair of Knicks superstars continue to spearhead New York’s ascent up the standings. Since trading for OG Anunoby, the Knicks are 9-2 including wins over the 76ers and Timberwolves. Their ability to clamp down on defense, and allow Randle and Brunson to do a bulk of the heavy lifting on offense, is a proven recipe for success, and the revamped Knicks lineup shows no signs of slowing down.

Tonight, the Knicks (26-17) will have plenty of rest after having 3 days off at home, and they take a short trip to Brooklyn to take on the Nets (17-25). Brooklyn is on the outside looking in regarding the postseason, as numerous injuries and inconsistent play has left them languishing in the bottom half of the league. While the Knicks have won 9 of their last 11 games, Brooklyn has been heading in the opposite direction, dropping 10 of their last 12 contests. Mikal Bridges continues to lead the way in Brooklyn and has been given the reins of the team in the wake of the Kevin Durant trade last season. Bridges has the ability to knock down key jump shots. However, when the Nets need it most, he’s come up short. The lack of depth scoring for Brooklyn has been a huge factor in their recent demise, as Bridges and Cam Thomas are the only players averaging more than 14 PPG this season. While Bridges and Thomas are not to blame, the pair are 40th and 46th in the league, respectively, with no one else in Brooklyn coming inside the top 90. The Nets have managed to stay afloat by taking care of the little things, and are in the top 5 in both turnovers, and rebounds. The valuable extra possessions have allowed their mediocre offense to take advantage of sloppy play from their opponents. However, against a high flying, well drilled Knicks franchise, those loose balls will be heavily contested.

In tonight’s matchup, the Knicks cannot afford to drop winnable games against an inferior foe if they intend to continue their rise up the Eastern Conference standings, and they should be able to swat aside the Nets more often than not. After a horrific December, the Knicks shored up their defense with Anunoby and are playing like a unit with serious title ambitions. Brunson has been playing exceptional offensive basketball. And with the defensively adept Anunoby always close by, he’s had his mediocre defensive abilities mitigated. The fact of the matter is that the Knicks are giving up a league low 101.1 PPG since 2024 began. And as long as their superstars keep hitting their shots, and their defensive unit keeps things locked down on defense, they will continue to put wins on the board against anyone in the league. One man who they need to step up further is Josh Hart. Hart was the 7th option when Quickley and Barrett were in the lineup, but the chunk of minutes that departed in the trade has allowed the Knicks role players to get a bigger slice of the pie. Hart has seen his stats dip in all the major categories, and his 7.4 PPG is on pace to be his career low. He’s not moving the ball as well as he used to and could quickly find himself sliding down the pecking order in New York. He’s been dealing with nagging injuries in recent months,. However, as the leader of the bench unit, New York relies heavily on his play.

New York heads to Brooklyn as 4-point road favorites, and this line isn’t wide enough. The fact that Robinson remains on the shelf, and Hartenstein has popped up on the injury report is worrying, but it’s not as though Nic Claxton is a punishing force inside to take advantage. The Knicks may be forced to have Randle playing center for stretches of the contest, as their depth at center is dwindling. Anunoby will be tasked with slowing down Bridges, and there is no doubt in my mind he can shut down the Nets leading scorer. His ability to clamp down on the perimeter and keep his feet moving on drives to the basket has him as one of the best, if not the best, wing defender in the league. The first bet of the evening has to be on Bridges’ point total, which is sitting at exactly his season average of 21.5 Points. The Knicks have an above average defense, Bridges’ specific matchup is one of the toughest in the league, and both teams play at a very slow pace, keeping this total in the low 220’s. Expecting Bridges to reach his season average is simply ridiculous, and his Under is a solid look tonight.

The next play will be on New York’s spread, as 4 points does not accurately reflect the gap in class, and form between these two franchises. New York is red hot since the calendar flipped, while Brooklyn has been sliding down the standings. The fact this is a ‘road game’ for New York is the only reason this spread isn’t double digits. However, considering the Knicks have ample rest, and just need to take a short drive over the Brooklyn Bridge for tonight’s game, I’m comfortable laying the points.

Pick: Mikal Bridges Under 21.5 Points 2 Units

Pick: New York Knicks (-4) 2 Units

2023-24 Season record:

ML Record: 7-4

Spread Record: 11-13

Total Record: 9-6

Player Props Record: 13-10

Total: 39-45

Down 11.2 Units

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