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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 1/30/2024

by Spencer Toth - 1/30/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks vs Utah Jazz Jordan Clarkson

Throughout the NBA season, Doc’s Sports is the place to find all your New York Knicks betting needs. I will be breaking down every single Knicks contest, providing best bets along the way. While we won’t always favor the Knicks, we will be able to churn a consistent profit by the season’s end, thanks to our in-depth knowledge on the Knicks, and the league as a whole.

Last night, the Knicks made quick work of the Charlotte Hornets, winning 113-92 in Charlotte. It was a close first half, as the defenses from both teams ensured the biggest first half lead was a mere 6 points for either team, before New York won the opening half 46-43. However, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks blew the top off this one in the third quarter, winning 44-24, with Brunson scoring 15 3rd quarter points. A late scratch to OG Anunoby left the Knicks with a thin bench. However, against a vastly inferior Hornets squad, who was missing LaMelo Ball, New York was still able to walk away with a big win.

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From a betting perspective, we had a 1-1 night. The Knicks easily took care of business as large moneyline favorites, cashing our biggest bet of the evening. Meanwhile Donte DiVincenzo unfortunately benefitted from a last second, unreported Anunoby scratch, and became the second option behind Brunson, soaring over the 14.5-point line, scoring 28 points.

Tonight, the Knicks (30-17) head back home to welcome the Utah Jazz (24-24) to New York. Both of these teams are on the second half of a back-to-back but had very different nights yesterday. While the Knicks got a sweat-free win against the Hornets, the Jazz took an even bigger defeat, losing 147-114 to the Brooklyn Nets. Ben Simmons made his season debut and nearly posted a triple double, while going 5/5 from the field. Utah was unable to do anything on the defensive end, as Brooklyn shot 51% from the floor, and 47% from deep. Once you factored in Utah’s 17 turnovers, they never really stood a chance.

Utah got off to a slow start to the season, going 7-16 through the first quarter of the season. They were hit with injuries to Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and Jordan Clarkson, leaving their offensive capabilities severely diminished. However, once their trio of stars came back from injury, all around the same time, the Jazz went on a tear, winning 15 of their next 19 games, going 15-4 ATS as well. While they’ve gone a pedestrian 2-4 in their last 6 games, Utah is still back at a .500 record, and will be confident they can start another winning run.

Markkanen is the clear leader of this franchise, as the All-Star is once again playing the best basketball of his career. Injuries have disrupted his momentum in prior campaigns, and he’s already missed 10 games this season due to injury. However, when he’s on his game, he’s as lethal as they come. His ability to use his length to make big shots from the perimeter, combined with his tenacity on the glass, has made him a key ingredient for success in Utah. While Markkanen has stolen the show, it has been the long-awaited introduction of Colin Sexton that has the Jazz in the thick of the playoff race. Injuries forced Sexton to take more than a full year off, but he’s suited up for all 48 Utah games this year and will continue to be critical to their success. Sexton was acquired as a part of the Donovan Mitchell trade, and it’s a relief to see him finally start to produce. His shooting splits are right around his career average, but it’s been his passing that has resulted in wins going on the board. He’s almost doubled his Assists to 4.4 per game in a Utah uniform. And on the second leg of a back to back, the ball movement from Sexton will be critical.

This matchup will feature plenty of tired legs, and rotated lineups, as neither injury report has been released at the time of writing. The Knicks and Jazz both had the privilege of resting their starters for the entire fourth quarter thanks to the scorelines, but it was the Knicks that will be the much happier side in doing so. Not only were they the ones ahead, but the Knicks bench is extremely thin, after losing Randle for a few weeks, and a late scratch to OG Anunoby had him sit out last night. It was a nagging elbow injury that Anunoby has dealt with before, and there’s no way of knowing whether or not we will see him feature tonight.

New York is coming in as 4.5-point home favorites, and this is absolutely a line I can get behind. As long as the discrepancy in injuries are not too wide, New York has the defensive quality to contain the Jazz, and walk away with a win. While Utah is still one of the best teams ATS this season, which is always a daunting trend to fade, New York is simply not being given enough respect here. The Knicks have won 7 straight games, and 13 of their last 15 since shaking things up to kick off 2024. That trend shows no sign of slowing down, as the Knicks have held their opponents to just 99.8 PPG in January. Their defensive dominance will be a difference-maker here, as there is no doubt in my mind the Knicks will walk away with a convincing victory, possibly even by double digits.

The second bet of the night has to be on the Under, at 228.5. The Knicks have gone Under in 13 of their last 15 games, and this is a very generous line considering home they’ve clamped down their opposition. Utah has the capabilities to blow the lid off against anyone. However, after a defensive goose egg last night, there is no doubt their head coach Will Hardy will demand more on that end of the court. I know there are no exciting picks here, as I’ve been riding the Knicks and Unders all month long, but when they continue to line our pockets, there is no reason to change it up.

Pick: New York Knicks (-4.5) 2 Units

Pick: Jazz vs Knicks Under 228.5 1 Unit

2023-24 Season record:

ML Record: 9-4

Spread Record: 12-13

Total Record: 10-6

Player Props Record: 13-12

Total: 43-47

Down 8.1 Units

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