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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 12/23/2024

by Spencer Toth - 12/23/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping OG Anunoby

The New York Knicks have found their rhythm, winning eight of their last 10 games, including three straight victories. However, a visit from a relentless Raptors team threatens to ruin their holiday spirit as they prepare for their Christmas Day game in front of the nation. You have found the right place for all your New York Knicks betting needs, as Doc’s Sports will be breaking down and providing the best bets for every Knicks game this season. 

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

On Thursday night, New York and Minnesota faced off in an emotional reunion for many of their players after their blockbuster offseason trade. However, the intensity of the affair was dialed down after the Knicks won the second quarter 41-18 and never looked back. They cruised to a 133-107 victory in Minnesota on the back of an incredible performance from Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns was shocked to be traded away from Minnesota and showed his previous employers they made a mistake with a 32 point and 20 rebound showing. Precious Achiuwa also posted a double-double, as the Knicks made it look easy with a big lead for the entire game. 

From a betting perspective, we had a perfect 2-0 night. We took advantage of the Knicks in the underdog role with the biggest bet of the season. Our 8-unit moneyline bet at +120 odds proved to be a sweat free victory. For the player prop, Donte DiVincenzo easily cleared his 7.5 point line with a 15 point outburst. 

The Knicks kept their hot streak going with a stunning comeback against the Pelicans on Saturday night. New York was down as many as 14 points in the third quarter before storming back for a 104-93 victory. Jalen Brunson scored a season-high 39 points to inspire a comeback with 29 of them coming in the second half. A shorthanded Pelicans team never should have given the Knicks any issues, but New York overcame their slow start to pick up the win. 

Tonight, the Knicks (18-10) host the Toronto Raptors (7-22) at Madison Square Garden. These two teams met two weeks ago, with New York pulling out a 113-108 victory in Toronto. The Raptors are bringing a 7-game losing streak into this matchup, but things couldn’t be going better for the Raptors front office. Toronto has been an exhilarating team to watch this season despite not picking up many wins. This team is in the middle of a rebuild, but their ability to play exciting basketball has kept Scotiabank Arena full, and the buzz alive for the Raptors fanbase. However, they are still expected to pick up another high draft pick this season thanks to their ability to throw games away down the stretch. A co-star for Scottie Barnes, combined with a sneaky-good Raptors roster, could vault them into a playoff position as soon as next season. Toronto hasn’t been winning games, but their ability to play lockdown defense has allowed them to post a 19-9-1 against the spread record this season. This team simply never gives up, and we saw what happened to the Knicks when they underestimated the Pelicans over the weekend. Toronto is full of young players who may never get another chance to play at Madison Square Garden, so there is no doubt this team will bring maximum effort on both ends of the court in this game. Barnes has been in and out of the lineup, and the injuries Toronto has dealt with have been devastating. RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, and Immanuel Quickley have all joined Barnes in the infirmary this season. Toronto has had a rotating lineup, yet they keep finding ways to stay competitive on a nightly basis. 

New York has gotten healthy over the last few weeks, and their newfound depth has already paid dividends. The Knicks no longer have to play their starters 40+ minutes on a nightly basis, as a bench featuring Miles McBride, Precious Achiuwa, Cam Payne, and Jericho Sims has been average. The Knicks starting five is so dominant that all they need is their rotation players to play average basketball. Brunson and Towns have created an incredible offensive scheme for one another, and the duo is surrounded by players who can hit open shots while playing solid defense on the other end. OG Anunoby has been New York’s best defender, and there is no doubt he will be active on the defensive end against his former team. He has posted 2.4 steals per game across his last 7 contests and looks poised for another defensive masterclass tonight. 

It is hard to argue that New York will win this game, but covering the spread is still certainly up for discussion. Time and time again the Raptors have managed to lose but cover their short spread this season. The 14-point spread is the third-largest of the season for Toronto, and it’s not surprising to hear they covered both times they were favored by larger numbers. The Raptors are playing on the second night of a back-to-back but don’t play again until Thursday night in Memphis. Fatigue could be a factor, but it is still impossible to overlook Toronto with this kind of spread. The Knicks offensive superstars could blow this one open, but more often than not the Raptors stay within the margin. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be targeting OG Anunoby. Anunoby has been a steal-machine on the defensive end and has a shocking +130 price tag on his over 1.5 steals. The potential for a blowout could be baked into this line, but it still feels way too low considering how he has played on the defensive end. No need to overthink this one, as this is a great chance to pull in a big profit with Anunoby. 

Pick: Toronto Raptors (+14) 6 Units

Pick: OG Anunoby Over 1.5 Steals +130 7 Units

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