With the regular season of the NBA coming to a close, we have a few games left to be played. One of these games is the Brooklyn Nets versus New York Knicks. The Nets, currently 8th in the Eastern Conference, can improve their positioning with a win.
They’re coming off of a 118-105 win over the Houston Rockets yesterday. It also looks like they aren’t resting starters just yet.
The New York Knicks have been eliminated from playoff contention. However, they can make it tougher on the Nets by dealing them a loss here. New York just claimed a huge 118-88 win over the Orlando Magic; they’ll look to do the same here.
Unfortunately, Julius Randle will be out for this game against the Nets. Without Randle, the Knicks come in at a massive disadvantage. Take a look at our same-game parlay below as well as all NBA computer picks.
Game Preview: Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks
The Nets possess one of the best offensive tandems in the NBA. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn has nights where they seem unstoppable.
In their last game against the Rockets, Irving put up 42 points. As a team, the Nets average 112.54 points per game, ranking ninth in the NBA. The question is, will this offense be enough as they take New York on tonight?
The Knicks’ defense is deceptively good and one of the best in the NBA. If they had the offense to go along with it, they’d likely be in the playoffs.
However, their offense ranks 27th in the NBA and averages just 106.51 points per game. The defense is much more impressive, allowing an average of 106.90 and ranking 7th in the NBA. The Knicks will hope that their defense holds up.
Against the Spread: Brooklyn Nets -7
Although the Nets haven’t been great against the spread recently, the Knicks haven’t either. New York is playing at home, where they’ve gone 16-23 this year. Against the spread, the Knicks are 15-24 when playing at home.
Because of this and Julius Randle being sidelined, we’re going to take the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are 22-16-2 against the spread on the road.
The Total: UNDER 232
The total in this game is set at a whopping 232 points, quite large for both of these teams. The total has gone UNDER in four of New York’s last five games. In five of Brooklyn’s last six games, the total has gone UNDER as well.
The Knicks’ defense is solid and shouldn’t allow the score to get too out of hand. We think the total in this game will go well under the allotted 232.
Win Margin: Brooklyn Nets 1-10 (+165)
As we mentioned, we think the Nets will win this game, but not by much more than the seven needed. Brooklyn beat the Houston Rockets, the worst team in the NBA, by just 13 points.
Before that, they lost to the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. In a game versus the Detroit Pistons, who have an awful offense, the Nets only won by seven.