The New York Knicks are entering their second to last game of the NBA season. Although they missed the playoffs this year, they’ll have a few positive things to hang their hats on. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett played well together this year.
In fact, you could say that with one more piece, the Knicks could be contenders. They’ll look to earn their 36th win of the 2021 year today.
A team that is quite literally in the same position as the Knicks is the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have the same record as the Knicks and were also eliminated from the playoffs. When looking at these two teams, you’ll see a lot of similarities.
This is likely the reason why the Knicks are only one-point underdogs. Still, there are a few picks in this game that could be worth taking. Feel free to also add this to your Parlay Picks.
Game Preview: New York Knicks at Washington Wizards
The Knicks have one of the best defenses in the NBA, allowing only 106.94 points per game. They rank seventh in this category, so it’s clear that defense wasn’t the problem this year.
Their offense, however, was absolutely atrocious, ranking 27th overall with an average of 106.40. The problem with the Knicks lies in their offense, but they do have an advantage over the Wizards.
The Wizards’ defense ranks 17th in the NBA, allowing an average of 111.83 points per game. Pairing this defense with an offense that only averages just over 108 points are a bad recipe.
Tonight, they’ll have to focus on stopping RJ Barrett, the Knicks’ leading scorer. With that being said, the Wizards won’t have to worry about finding a way to stop PF Julius Randle tonight.
Against the Spread: New York Knicks +1
The Knicks are missing a key element of their offense with Julius Randle out. However, the Wizards won’t have Kyle Kuzma in the lineup, their best player. Without Kuzma, stopping Barrett will be hard for the Wizards to do.
Since this game is essentially a pick ’em we can take the Knicks with confidence to win this game. Look for RJ Barrett to have a strong night as well.
The Total: UNDER 222.5
We’ll be taking the under in this game for a few reasons. One, the Knicks offense and Wizards offense have a history of sputtering. Second, a few key offensive players will be out of the lineup for each team.
The total has gone under in 5 of New York’s last six games. The total has also gone under in 4 of New York’s last five games when playing on the road against Washington.
Win Margin: New York Knicks 1-10 (+195)
We like this bet because it will pad the ticket and earn you more winnings. The Knicks shouldn’t beat the Wizards by more than ten points here. They last played the Wizards in early March and won the game 100-97.
We believe that this game will end up similar to that one. In their last three games against the Wizards, the Knicks are 2-1, making this a great NBA computer pick.