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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 12/5/2024

by Spencer Toth - 12/5/2024

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

The New York Knicks must avoid a textbook trap game when they host the Charlotte Hornets tonight. The Knicks secured a massive NBA Cup victory to punch their ticket into the knockout stage on Tuesday but cannot afford to take their opponents lightly tonight. Throughout the NBA season, Doc’s Sports will be breaking down every single New York Knicks matchup while providing the best bets along the way. 

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On Tuesday night, New York finished a perfect 4-0 in the NBA Cup with their 121-106 victory over the Orlando Magic. New York jumped out to a big early lead and built it up to 37 points late in the third quarter. Due to the point differential, the Knicks emptied their bench while the Magic played their starters in the fourth, and both teams were able to book their place in the knockout round. The Knicks had 5 different players score 18 or more points against the Magic, as their ability to spread the basketball allowed them to break down a rigid Magic defense. New York finished with 30 assists on 43 made shots en route to a comfortable victory. 

From a betting perspective, we went 1-1. Our biggest bet of the night was on the New York Knicks moneyline, which wasn't even a sweat. The 15-point margin of victory doesn’t tell the whole story, as the Knicks were comfortably in control for the last three quarters. We also had a small wager on the Under, but New York’s ball movement allowed them to push the game over the posted total. 

Tonight, the New York Knicks (13-8) take on the Charlotte Hornets (6-15) at Madison Square Garden. There is no doubt the New York Knicks are the far better team compared to the Hornets. And once you factor in that LaMelo Ball will be out, Charlotte doesn’t stand much of a chance. However, these two teams faced off less than a week ago and the Knicks needed some last second heroics to win 99-98. Ball was also missing in that contest, as Brandon Miller’s 20 points led the way for Charlotte. Charlotte may be on a six-game losing skid, but they showed they are still very dangerous if the Knicks don’t take them seriously. Mind you, their previous matchup was on a Friday afternoon with a Noon Eastern tip off, but that doesn’t take away from what the Hornets did defensively. Charlotte certainly misses Ball on the offensive end, but Vasilije Micic is the much stronger defender at the point guard position. 

The point spread is up at -14.5 points in favor of the Knicks, which should tell you all you need to know about how this game is expected to go down. The Knicks are as healthy as they have been all season and have the potential to get Precious Achiuwa back from injury for his first game of the season. New York has won 8 of their last 10 games, including victories over the Suns, Magic, and Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Hornets are missing their best player who is averaging 31.1 PPG, and have lost six in a row and 10 of their last 12 games. 

New York will need to take this game seriously if they are hoping to avoid a repeat of last Friday afternoon. New York lacked effort in their game against the Hornets and allowed Charlotte to hang around for long stretches of the game. Head coach Tom Thibodeau will want a double-digit lead heading into the fourth quarter, and it’s hard to say that expectation is too unrealistic. 

Precious Achiuwa’s arrival back into the lineup will give the Knicks some much needed depth, as they have been frequently running 7 or 8 man lineups this season. Achiuwa arrived in New York as a part of the OG Anunoby trade last season and was an effective member of the rotation. He hauled in a career-high 7.62 rebounds last season with the Knicks and will give Karl-Anthony Towns some valuable minutes on the bench. Jericho Sims has been called on for New York when Towns needs a rest, but Sims is not good enough to play meaningful minutes on an NBA championship team. 

Charlotte can be an exciting team to watch. However, without Ball and Miles Bridges, they don’t have the scoring needed to keep pace. Miller is a good option to have on the court, but he is still far too unproven to be counted on as the primary shot taker. He can't create his own offense like Ball and Bridges, but he is the best the Hornets have tonight in New York. The Knicks have the advantage down low with Bridges off the court, and they will look to go to Towns early and often against the Hornets. Towns and Brunson torched the Hornets in the fourth quarter last time these two teams met, as they were perfectly happy to run a very effective two-man offense. 

The first meeting between these two went the distance, but I am expecting a much more one-sided affair tonight. For the first bet of the night, rather than taking the -14.5 game spread for the Knicks, we will look to the first half spread of -8.5. Thibodeau will be prioritizing a hot start for the Knicks, as he doesn’t want a repeat of the last game. When the Knicks give maximum effort in the opening half, the Hornets will find themselves down double digits heading into the break. New York has a deep offense, while the Hornets have been struggling to find any consistency without Ball, scoring just 96.8PPG in their last five contests. One bright spot for them offensively has been the emergence of Tidjane Salaun. Salaun has been used as a replacement for Towns and is poised to eclipse his 7.5 point line tonight. He has scored double digits in three of his last four games and will get plenty of minutes against the Knicks tonight. Not only will we be playing his Over 7.5 points line, but his 10+ points at +155 odds is also worth a sprinkle. 

Pick: New York Knicks 1H -8.5 3 Units

Pick: Tidjane Salaun Over 7.5 Points 4 Units

Pick Tidjane Salaun 10+ Points +155 2 Units

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