Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 11/1/2024

by Spencer Toth - 11/1/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping Karl-Anthony Towns

You’ve found the right place for all your New York Knicks betting needs this season. Doc’s Sports will be breaking down every single New York Knicks weekday matchup and will be providing the best bets along the way. 

The Knicks clawed their way back to a .500 record with their 116-107 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. Karl-Anthony Towns exploded for 44 points and 13 rebounds for the best game of his short Knicks career. New York managed to get all six of their top rotation players into double digit points, but they still relied heavily on the starting unit for a majority of their points. Josh Hart was questionable with an injury heading into the matchup, but he persevered en route to leading both teams with 14 rebounds. 

Doc’s Sports offers NBA picks for every game on our NBA predictions page.

From a betting perspective, we went 0-2. Bam Adebayo to knock down a three pointer was our biggest play of the day, but he went 0/2 from deep. The Under 215.5 had a chance. However, after both teams shot 42% or better from deep, the points were quickly piled on. 

Tonight, the Knicks (2-2) play their second game of a four-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons (1-4). The Pistons set multiple dubious records last season, including the longest NBA losing streak at 28 games. They retooled their roster this year but got off to a similar start by losing their first four games of the season. Detroit picked up their first win of the season against an undermanned 76ers squad on Wednesday and will be looking to get a rare back-to-back set of victories against the Knicks tonight. 

Cade Cunningham is now into his fourth NBA season and is blossoming into a reliable leader of this team. The sample size is small, but Cunningham’s 25.6 PPG this season is by far his career high, as he becomes more comfortable with the volume of shots available with a team like the Pistons. He also isn’t selfish with the ball, dishing out a team-high 7.4 assists this season. The Pistons brought in two solid veterans over the summer, with Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. joining the roster. The pair of 32-year-olds each have a decade of NBA experience under their belts and will be able to help mold a young Pistons team bursting with potential. 

Despite the fact they are on the road, the Knicks will be expected to walk away with a victory over the Pistons. A 2-2 start isn’t exactly what the Knicks had in mind to start the year, but losses to the 5-0 Cavaliers and 4-1 Celtics can be forgiven. Towns has been able to be the second option behind Brunson this season, as the Knicks suddenly have reliable scoring depth for the first time in a decade. Last season, the Knicks were a mighty defensive force, as head coach Tom Thibodeau demanded the most out of his players. This year, the Knicks have been the 29th best defensive team in the league. The arrival of the defensively challenged Towns has certainly had an impact, but the defensive effort from Hart and OG Anunoby has also been subpar. Anunoby is a defensive player of the year frontrunner, but it is clear his elbow is still not 100% healthy after his offseason surgery. His defensive partner Hart will be tasked with slowing down Tobias Harris tonight, which is a task he is up for. 

This matchup comes down to whether or not the Knicks can play up to their potential. The Pistons have turned into a pretty reliable NBA franchise, consistently losing to average teams but not hesitating to take advantage of an off-night from their opponents. The 76ers were plagued with injuries, which led to their only win, but that is not the case for a relatively healthy Knicks squad. New York’s depth will be trusted, but their superior starting five will allow them to pick up a valuable road victory. Brunson and Cunningham will cancel each other out from the point guard position, and the Pistons lack the scoring options outside of their rising star. Ausar Thompson is still working his way back to competitive conditioning, and new rookie Ron Holland II has yet to make an impact. 

Where the Knicks will find the most success is in the middle of the court. When Towns draws Jalen Duren out of the paint, the Knicks will be able to feast in and around the free throw line. Brunson doesn’t hesitate to pull up in the midrange, and this matchup is perfect for him to shake off his slow start to the year offensively. Harris isn’t mobile enough to effectively switch in the paint, which will leave a struggling Piston defense even further off the mark tonight. 

For the first bet of the night, we will be taking the Knicks moneyline at -275 odds. New York clawed their way back to .500 on Wednesday and will get above that mark for the first time this season in Detroit. Laying juice on a road favorite in the NBA is never a fun task, but I just don’t trust the Knicks to put the Pistons away en route to a cover with a -7 point spread. There is little doubt the Knicks will win, so we will be playing it safe tonight with the moneyline. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be targeting Josh Hart and his rebounds. The line is at 9.5, and we will happily scoop up the over. Hart has eclipsed this line in three straight games, and a matchup against Harris isn’t one that should snap that streak. Towns will struggle to outmuscle Duren on the glass, leaving Hart as the next best option to haul in rebounds. Hart’s effort is never an issue as he looks to stretch his double-double streak to four games in Detroit tonight. 

Pick: New York Knicks Moneyline -275 5 Units

Pick: Josh Hart Over 9.5 rebounds -110 3 Units

Get NBA picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent NBA Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers