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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 12/25/2024

by Spencer Toth - 12/24/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs

The New York Knicks open up the NBA Christmas Day slate of games with their midday matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. You have found the right place for all your New York Knicks betting needs this season. All year long, Doc’s Sports will be breaking down every New York Knicks weekday game with the best bets provided along the way. 

On Monday night, the Knicks took down the Toronto Raptors 139-125. Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby both scored 31 points as the Knicks took a 29-point lead into the fourth quarter. It was a dominant showing from the Knicks, with seven different players hitting double digit points in the victory. 

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From a betting perspective, we went 0-1 with a push. The Raptors pushed the +14 point spread, while OG Anunoby fell one steal short of a massive +130 cash. 

The New York Knicks (19-10) host the San Antonio Spurs (15-14) in the Christmas Day matinee. All five Christmas Day matchups feature high profile showdowns, and this one is no exception. Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has taken the league by storm and has a promising future in the league. In his rookie season, Wembanyama led the league in blocks with 3.6 per game and finished second in DPOY voting behind Rudy Gobert. He has taken his defensive dominance even further this year, averaging 4.0 blocks per game this season. He is looking to become the first NBA player since Dikembe Mutombo’s 4.49 blocks in the 1995-96 season. Wembanyama is truly a freak athlete and is a real spectacle to watch on the court. The NBA has never seen a player of his 7-foot-4 stature with the ability to shoot threes with a 36% accuracy. His impact on both ends of the court is truly uncontainable. 

The Spurs have gotten off to a great start this season, as no one expected them to be above .500 at this stage of the year. Chris Paul’s veteran experience has given the young Spurs core a guiding hand, and it has already begun to pay dividends. New York will look to disrupt the passing lane between Wembanyama and Paul, as the Spurs don’t have enough offensive support around the court to generate their own offense. 

New York has strung together four consecutive victories since they were bounced from the NBA Cup, and all four victories were by nine or more points. The return of Precious Achiuwa may not have made the national headlines, but the impact of the depth he has brought to the Knicks lineup cannot be overstated. New York was previously running seven or even six-man rotations on a nightly basis. That is simply unsustainable throughout an 82 game season. The Knicks now have Cam Payne and Achiuwa joining Miles McBride off the bench, and they have reaped the rewards. 

NBA fans are in for a real treat when the duo of Jalen Brunson and Towns square off against Wembanyama and Paul. Brunson and Towns have been able to run a lethal pick and roll game this season, and it will be truly tested against the defense of Wembanyama. Towns is used to having a real mobility advantage over the big man he is assigned to, but that will not be the case tonight. Wembanyama will be able to keep Towns contained, and the Knicks will need to look elsewhere for offense. One of those options will be Mikal Bridges, who is poised for a big game on Christmas Day. 

There was plenty of criticism when the Knicks gave up five first round picks for Bridges over the offseason. It seemed like an overpay for a player averaging just 19.6 PPG as the primary option on a tanking Brooklyn Nets roster. However, Bridges has been the glue holding the Knicks together this season and will get plenty of shooting opportunities in the open court. His 17.3 PPG as the fourth option on the court is quite impressive, and he’s doing so while shooting 49.2% from the floor. His ability to knock down shots late in the clock has made him the perfect addition to the Knicks lineup and is a big reason why the Knicks are entering this game on a hot streak. 

New York has been able to dominate their opposition over the last month, and this will be no exception. The Spurs have done well to earn 15 wins this season, but they will be unable to add to their total against New York. The Spurs record is inflated due to the fact they have played 18 games at home compared to just 11 on the road. Their 4-7 away record is nothing to praise, and their four wins have come against Portland, Sacramento, and a pair against the lowly Jazz. San Antonio hasn’t been able to prove they can compete with the middle of the pack, let alone the league's best teams away from home. The spread is set at -9 points in favor of the Knicks, but there is no doubt they can win by double digits. New York has been able to dominate their opposition at home, while the Spurs have struggled on the road. The experience and skill of the Knicks lineup is far superior to the Spurs, and the bright light of this Christmas Day matinee will allow the Knicks to eventually pull away on the scoreboard. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be taking Mikal Bridges to score over 16.5 points. All the attention will be on Towns and Brunson which leaves Bridges as the next best option to create his own offense. He won’t have to worry about Wembanyama patrolling the paint as he thrives with the midrange shot. Bridges is the nightmare matchup for a team like San Antonio, and will easily surpass this line on Wednesday afternoon. 

Pick: New York Knicks (-9) 7 Units

Pick: Mikal Bridges Over 16.5 Points 5 Units

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