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 11/4/2024

by Spencer Toth - 11/4/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping Alperen Sengun Houston Rockets

Throughout the NBA season, Doc’s Sports will be providing a free breakdown with best bets for every single New York Knicks weekday matchup. By using in-depth knowledge on the Knicks, and the NBA as a whole, we will be able to churn a consistent profit for the third consecutive season. 

On Friday night, the Knicks won their second consecutive game to bring their record back above the .500 mark. They burst out to a 26-point lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back, beating the Pistons 128-98. Jalen Brunson had his best game of the season, scoring 36 points in just 31 minutes of action. Karl-Anthony Towns posted his fourth consecutive double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. 

From a betting perspective, we went 1-1. The New York Knicks moneyline was our biggest bet of the night, cashing without a sweat. Our lone loss of the evening was on Josh Hart’s rebounds, as he hauled in 9 boards when the line was over 9.5. 

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

Tonight, the New York Knicks (3-2) will look to make it three straight victories when they head to Houston to take on the Rockets (3-3). All 30 NBA teams are in action tonight with the tip offs spaced out in 15-minute intervals. The Knicks special tip off time of 8:45 has them smack in the middle of the NBA festivities. 

The Houston Rockets have a promising future ahead of them, as their young team appears ready to finally challenge for a playoff spot. Jalen Green has taken on the role of primary scorer for the Rockets, averaging a career high 24.2 PPG this season. He’s attempted more than 20 shots per game through the first six contests, happily pulling up from anywhere on the court. His ability to score from all three levels combined with his inhuman athleticism has allowed him to turn into the face of the Rockets rebuild. Fred VanVleet is still the more effective scorer, but at just 22 years old Green has a much brighter future with the franchise. 

The Rockets have a fascinating roster, as their top seven players feature veterans VanVleet and Dillon Brooks surrounded by five players aged 23 or younger. Brooks and VanVleet are two of the best leaders a team could ask for, and the Rockets have vaulted themselves out of the Western Conference basement as a result. 

While most of the Rockets youngsters have developed nicely, there are serious concerns surrounding Alperen Sengun this season. Sengun had a breakout campaign last year, posting a 21/9/5 average. He has been unable to translate that success over to this season and has seen his minutes slashed as a result. It is probably still too early to write off Sengun at this stage of the season, but after he got only 21 minutes on the court in an overtime game this weekend, the warning signs are suddenly apparent. 

This is a game the Knicks cannot afford to take lightly. They picked up a couple valuable victories over the Pistons and Heat to kick off their road trip, but a matchup against the Rockets is a much tougher task. Towns will need to limit Sengun’s dominance on the glass, as he is a big reason why the Rockets lead the league in offensive rebounds. Josh Hart will help the Knicks on the defensive glass, as the Rockets lack a secondary rebounder similar to Hart on their roster. The Rockets are a lengthy and athletic team in the front court, but that is an area where the Knicks role players will struggle to contain the Rockets. 

In the backcourt, there is a clear edge for the Knicks. New York has been an above average offensive team despite Brunson’s shooting struggles this season. Brunson is not only the best player on either of these two teams, but he is one of the best players in the entire league. His ability to not only create his own shots, but also set up his teammates has allowed the Knicks to open up the floor on a consistent basis. His chemistry with Mikal Bridges still has a long way to go, but the duo shouldn’t have a problem outperforming the Rockets from behind the arc. 

The Knicks are slight -1.5 point favorites heading into this matchup but this spread should be wider. New York has proven they are the better team on both ends of the court this season. The Knicks may be the road team here, but they have an extra day of rest under their belt after having not played since Friday night. Brunson and Bridges will be too much for the Rockets to contain on the perimeter, and Houston doesn’t have the type of roster to expose the Knicks defensive weaknesses on the interior. Towns hasn’t been as big of a defensive liability this season with the Knicks, as the help provided from Hart and OG Anunoby has gone a long way in shoring things up in the paint. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be taking Sengun’s assists. He has averaged 3.7 assists per game this season, but with this matchup we will happily take the Under 3.5 assists at +120 odds. Sengun will look to drive at Towns whenever he gets the ball in the middle of the court rather than look to distribute. Hart and Anonoby do a fantastic job at cutting off passing lanes, and I expect Sengun to look to score more often than pass. He has been in an offensive slump this season, and with his minutes at risk of being cut, assists will not be enough to get back into the coaches good graces. 

Pick: New York Knicks (-1.5) 3 Units

Pick: Alperen Sengun Under 3.5 Assists +120 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