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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 11/8/2024

by Spencer Toth - 11/8/2024

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

All season long, Doc’s Sports will be breaking down each and every New York Knicks weekday game and will be providing the best bets along the way. 

On Wednesday night, the Knicks lost their second consecutive game to fall to 3-4 on the season. Their defense was unable to slow down the Hawks, as rookie Zaccharie Risacher led Atlanta to a 121-116 victory. Risacher had the best game of his young career with 33 points, including 6 shots from behind the arc. The Knicks offense came to life against a struggling Hawks defense with Karl-Anthony Towns putting in 34 points, but it was not enough to get New York over the line. The Knicks lost in the hustle stats, as Atlanta had a +7 advantage in steals and a +9 advantage in offensive rebounds. 

From a betting perspective, we went 1-2. Trae Young fell just one bucket short of his 24.5 point line, while Brunson also had a quiet night, scoring just 21 points. Not all was lost as we correctly called that there would be Over 226 points scored in a matchup between these struggling defenses. 

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Tonight, the Knicks (3-4) take on another struggling team when they welcome the Milwaukee Bucks (2-6) to Madison Square Garden. Milwaukee and New York were both expected to be challenging for an NBA title this season, but things have not gone according to plan. The Bucks snapped a six-game losing streak with their victory over the Utah Jazz last night but are facing an uphill battle to overcome the Knicks on the second night of a back-to-back. Milwaukee’s two wins have come against the 1-6 76ers and the 1-7 Jazz. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the face of the Bucks over the last several seasons, but his aging supporting cast is finally starting to drop off. Khris Middleton (33), Damian Lillard (34), and Brook Lopez (36) are crucial members of the Bucks roster, but they have been unable to deliver this season. Some of the blame must also be shouldered by Antetokounmpo, but the Greek Freak is still playing dominant basketball, scoring 31 PPG with 12.9 rebounds this season. New arrival Gary Trent Jr. hasn’t been able to find his stroke from deep, while Taurean Prince hasn’t been the force he was on the Lakers last season.

The Knicks will be cautiously optimistic they will be able to snap their own losing streak with a victory over the Bucks. New York’s lack of depth has been a serious concern already this season, but the Bucks don’t have the bench required to exploit the Knicks second unit. The size that Antetokounmpo, Lopez, and Bobby Portis bring will certainly be an issue for Karl-Anthony Towns, as when the Bucks elect to go big, they will have a serious advantage inside. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart don’t quite have the size to match their opponents, but their ability to stay active on defense will still give the Bucks issues. 

One player the Knicks will need more form is Josh Hart. Hart was one of the few healthy Knicks last season and delivered countless big time plays just as it looked like the Knicks season was over. His ability to match up against all five positions made him the perfect Swiss army knife for Tom Thibodeau. However, he hasn’t had the same energy this season. His 74% shooting percentage from inside the arc is leading the league, but the Knicks aren’t struggling for offense at the moment. Hart’s best asset is his tenacity on the defensive end, and it appears as though he is sacrificing the work on his defense to improve his offensive game. The Knicks are struggling for depth, and they will need Hart to play 40+ minutes of high level basketball to stay afloat. 

The injury report hasn’t been released for the Bucks, as they have several extra hours to do so since they also played last night. However, Antetokounmpo was questionable yesterday so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play a reduced role tonight in New York. The offense from Towns has been exceptional, but this could be his first real test against a dominant center this season. Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa are both still injured, leaving Towns as the only true center capable of playing at the NBA level on the Knicks roster (sorry Jericho Sims). 

As a result, I expect Towns to step up to the plate for his first matchup against one of the dominant centers in the league. His Steals and Blocks line is sitting at 1.5, and I expect him to stay active on defense and clear this total. He has done so in two of his last three games, and as long as he stays out of foul trouble, he will be able to do so once again tonight. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be laying the points with New York. The spread is currently at 7 points in favor of the Knicks, but this game will be a double digit win for New York. Antetokounmpo is not at 100% and may even sit this game out altogether. The Bucks are dealing with injuries and their aging roster will struggle against a high energy Knicks side. This is the first home game for New York in two weeks, and the crowd will be as loud as ever as they look to push the Knicks back to .500. If this were the same Bucks team as last season, there is no way a -7 point spread could be justified. However, Milwaukee has been dreadful this season and currently sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Bucks may be able to put it together down the line, but this is the perfect opportunity for the Knicks to put a big win on the board. 

Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 Steals and Blocks -105 4 Units

Pick: New York Knicks (-7) 4 Units

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