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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 11/18/2024

by Spencer Toth - 11/18/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping Tyler Kolek

The New York Knicks have won back-to-back games for the second time this season and have a fantastic opportunity to form their first win streak of the year against the Washington Wizards tonight. You’ve found the right place for all your New York Knicks betting needs, as Doc’s Sports will be breaking down each and every Knicks weekday game this season. 

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

On Friday night, the Knicks stayed perfect in the NBA Cup, beating the Brooklyn Nets 124-122 to move to 2-0. The Knicks built themselves a 21-point lead but ultimately needed a go-ahead triple from Jalen Brunson with 6 seconds left to avoid embarrassment. The game winning shot capped off Brunson’s best game of the season, as he led the Knicks with 37 points. The Nets furious comeback was led by Cam Thomas’s 43 point outburst, but it was ultimately not enough to upset the Knicks. 

From a betting perspective, we went 1-1. Dennis Schroder finished with 14 points, just shy of the 15.5 point mark we needed. However, we did get a big victory on the spread, as the Nets comeback allowed them to cover the +9.5 point line. 

Last night, the Knicks and Nets ran it back in a standard regular season game. New York made it two straight against their cross-town rivals, winning 114-104. Four of their five starters scored 20+ points, while Brunson finished with 12. It was a comfortable victory for the Knicks, as they won each of the first three quarters and never looked back. 

Tonight, the New York Knicks (7-6) host the Washington Wizards (2-10) at Madison Square Garden. The Wizards may be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but this is the second night of a back-to-back against a shorthanded Knicks team. New York has a very shallow rotation and has yet to win a game on the second night of a back-to-back this season. Head coach Tom Thibodeau frequently uses a 7-man rotation, and there will be no shortage of tired legs out on the court tonight. 

Washington started off the season 2-2 with a pair of wins over the Hawks but have since lost 8 straight games heading into this matchup. The Wizards have allowed 118 or more points in 11/12 games this season, as their defense has consistently fallen short. They have found it is difficult to pick up wins in the NBA with 120 points allowed, and there is no real end in sight. The Wizards have a young rotation capable of scoring points, but things haven’t started clicking yet for them this season. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole are both quality NBA role players, but Washington has struggled to find wins with the aforementioned pair as their number one options. Rookie Alex Sarr has been ice cold, shooting 35% from the floor and 22% from deep this season, but those numbers are bound to eventually rebound. 

This is a game the Knicks simply have to win. New York got off to a slow start this season, but they cannot afford to start dropping home games against the league’s worst teams. Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson both remain out for the Knicks, but there is still more than enough talent on this roster to secure a comfortable victory. Not only have the Wizards lost 8 straight games, but they have all been by losses by 9 or more points, with four of them coming by 20+ points. 

This could be an opportunity to test out the Knicks bench against the Wizards. Their starting five of Bridges, Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, and Hart are arguably the best unit in the league, but their talent quickly falls off with their reserves. Miles McBride is a good sixth man, but he missed last night’s game with illness and is doubtful for tonight. That leaves Cam Payne, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Jericho Sims coming off the bench. Payne is capable of matching up with the Wizards second unit, but the confidence is low for Sims and Kolek at this stage of the season. Rookie Tyler Kolek has been solid for New York off the bench, and this game could be an opportunity for him to prove he deserves his spot in the rotation. Brunson has been dealing with a nagging injury, so it would be no surprise to see him take a seat tonight against the Wizards. 

New York is good enough to beat the Wizards outright, but this -14.5 point spread in their favor is a little steep. While it’s true Washington is losing games by wide margins, New York doesn’t have the capabilities to blow teams out. The Knicks have just three wins by 15+ points this season, and they weren’t coming on the second night of back-to-backs. The thin Knicks bench will prevent the lead from growing as the game goes on, and it will probably hover around 7-13 points for long stretches. Tom Thibodeau will keep his starters in long enough to ensure victory, but will not worry about running up the scoreboard. Kuzma and Poole can both heat up in a hurry for the Wizards, and they will be able to claw things back when their team starts to slip away. Don’t bother sprinkling on the +625 moneyline, but the +14.5 point spread for the Wizards is the top pick of the evening. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be taking Jalen Brunson under 38.5 points, rebounds, and assists. Brunson has been dealing with injuries this season and will not see his usual minutes against the Wizards. There is always the chance he explodes offensively in 25 or so minutes of play, but he is unlikely to be on the court long enough to cash this line. This is the 5th game for the Knicks in the last seven nights, and it cannot be emphasized enough how tired this team is. Thibodeau demands 100% effort for all 48 minutes of action, and Brunson will be forced to spend some time on the bench tonight after a grueling week of games. 

Pick: Washington Wizards (+14.5) 3 Units

Pick: Jalen Brunson Under 38.5 Points, Rebounds, and Assists 6 Units

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