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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 11/13/2024

by Spencer Toth - 11/13/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping OG Anunoby

The New York Knicks are playing their first back-to-back set of the season and will look to avoid a letdown spot after their crucial NBA Cup victory last night. All season long, Doc’s Sports will be breaking down and providing the best bets for every New York Knicks weekday game of the season. 

Last night, the Knicks took down the Philadelphia 76ers in a crucial NBA Cup game in Group A. A single loss could send an NBA contender out of the tournament, but the Knicks managed to pull off the victory on the road in Philadelphia. New York is matched up in Group A with the Magic, Nets, and Hornets, all of which the Knicks are more than capable of beating. Their 111-99 victory over the 76ers gives them a stranglehold on the top spot in the group. The Knicks defense was able to hold Joel Embiid to just 13 points in his first game this season, and starting guards Kyle Lowry and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored just 9 points combined. New York clamped down on the defensive end, and head coach Tom Thibodeau finally gave his players some rotation. New York played a season high nine players for nine or more minutes, with Matt Ryan and Cameron Payne joining the meaningful rotation. The Knicks scoring was balanced once again, with all five starters putting 14 or more points on the board. OG Anunoby has turned into a reliable contributor on both ends of the court, as he led the teams with 24 points last night. 

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Tonight, the New York Knicks (5-5) head home to host the Chicago Bulls (4-7). Chicago has had injury problems this season, with Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine both missing time. They started off the year 3-2 but have lost five of their last six games heading into this one. LaVine has had his issues both on and off the court over the course of his Bulls career, but he has gotten off to a hot start this season with Chicago. His 24.5 PPG leads the team, and he has played in 8/11 games so far. The loss of Alex Caruso in the offseason to make space for Josh Giddey hasn’t led to wins this year, but it has set the Bulls up nicely for the future. Giddey leads the team with 7.0 assists per game and also chips in with 13.9 PPG to start his career in Chicago. The Bulls play at the fastest pace in the NBA, but it hasn’t translated to an effective offense. They have the 22nd offensive rating this season despite knocking down 37% of their shots from behind the arc. 

The Knicks defense will have few problems clamping down on Chicago but their tired legs on a back-to-back could come back to haunt them. Tom Thibodeau wisely rotated his roster nicely last night with today’s game in mind. He has no problems giving his starters 40+ minutes on a regular basis, but on a back-to-back set that is simply not an option. New York still has another NBA Cup game on Friday night, so we may see even more rotation from Thibodeau tonight. 

The Knicks may only be 5-5 on the season, but there are still plenty of positives to take away from the opening 10 games of the season. New York made several offseason moves and things are starting to click nicely for the Knickerbockers. Karl-Anthony Towns is suddenly the primary option alongside Jalen Brunson while Mikal Bridges has been an effective contributor on both ends of the court. Additionally, while he isn’t technically an offseason addition, a healthy OG Anunoby lifts the Knicks ceiling even further. The Knicks went 20-3 in the games Anunoby played last season as his contributions on both ends of the court have been phenomenal. Anunoby has always been one of the best wing defenders in the league, and his flexibility to defend multiple positions has made him quite the asset for the Knicks. What has made him even more of a problem for opponents is his sudden offensive rejuvenation this year. He’s shooting 50% from the floor and a career high 41.5% from behind the arc this season. Not that Anunoby was ever an offensive liability, but his consistency from behind the arc has forced teams to spread the floor on the defensive end. Anunoby won’t have too difficult a defensive matchup against the Bulls, so we could see another big night for him on the offensive end. 

The Knicks and Bulls are an interesting matchup. Chicago loves to get things going through their guards with their forwards ultimately finishing the job. Giddey, LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic are their primary options, but none of them have the ability to truly take over a game like the Knicks stars. Vucevic’s ability to shoot the three ball has masked his other offensive shortcomings, and he will be unable to expose the mobile Towns in the post. The spread is set at -8 points in favor of the Knicks tonight, and is the perfect bet to make. New York is desperate to start stringing wins together, and back-to-back victories against two Eastern Conference rivals would be the perfect way to shake off their slow start. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be taking OG Anunoby Over 0.5 Blocks. Anunoby has been effective on the offensive end, but his lines have jumped up too high in that department. Instead, we will take the blocks line. Anunoby has had 6 blocks in 11 games this season, and I expect him to get at least one tonight. The Bulls play at a fast pace of play, and Anunoby has no problems getting back in transition. When the Bulls get sloppy on a fast break, Anunoby will get a chase down block to cover this line. 

Pick: New York Knicks (-8) 5 Units

Pick: OG Anunoby Over 0.5 Blocks -160 3 Units

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