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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 2/26/2024

by Spencer Toth - 2/26/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham

The NBA has inched into the final third of the season, and time is running out for playoff hopefuls to make a late push up the standings. Throughout the season, Doc’s Sports is the place to get all your New York Knicks betting needs. We will be breaking down every single game. And while we may not always favor the Knicks, we are well on our way to churn a consistent profit by the season’s end.

On Thursday night, the Knicks were able to swat aside the Philadelphia 76ers, by a score of 110-96. It was a very balanced scoring effort, as 5 different players scored 16+ points, with newcomer Bojan Bogdanovic leading the way with 22 points. New York was able to snap a 4-game losing skid dating all the way back to February 6th, and were able to hang on to their precarious 4th place spot in the East.

From a betting perspective, we posted our 7th straight winning night, shooting us even further into the green. The Knicks were -105 underdogs in Philly, and we happily grabbed them on the moneyline for an easy 2-unit cash. We also sprinkled a unit on Jalen Brunson scoring 30+ points, but he fell short. Nevertheless, another green night is in the books, and we will look to make it 8 straight wins tonight.

On Saturday night, the Knicks momentum was halted after losing 116-102 at home against the Celtics. A banged-up Knicks team was no match for a fully healthy, Eastern Conference leading Celtics squad. Jalen Brunson’s 34 points kept it close, but after Boston shot an incredible 70.1% from the field through 3 quarters, the lead became insurmountable.

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Tonight, the Knicks (34-23) will be desperate to pick up a win, as they welcome the Detroit Pistons (8-48) to Madison Square Garden. The Pistons are woeful, end of story. They are currently on pace for the 6th worst season in NBA history and set the record for the longest single season losing streak of 28 games a few months ago. The Pistons are led by 22-year-old Cade Cunningham, who leads the team in PPG (22.2) and Assists (7.4). The 2021 first overall draft pick has struggled with injuries throughout his short career, and his inability to stay in the lineup has prevented the Pistons from building the chemistry needed to compete on a nightly basis. The Knicks may not be the powerhouse they were in January, but this is absolutely a game they cannot afford to drop.

The Knicks are sitting in 4th in the East. However, with just 2.5 games separating 4th and 8th, they have a very small margin for error if they expect to host a first-round playoff series. The Knicks went 13-2 in January, and the arrival of OG Anunoby jump started their lackluster defense and allowed them to consistently grind out wins. However, Anunoby and Julius Randle both went down with injuries, and the season has started to spiral out of control. The Knicks have gone just 2-6 in February and have lost 5 of their last 6 games. All-Star Jalen Brunson has done his best to keep the Knicks afloat, but with a very thin bench that hasn’t been able to stay healthy, New York is in serious jeopardy of a sharp slide down the standings. Anunoby is expected back in 10-14 days, while Randle has no timeline for a return, but the staff remains ‘optimistic’ he’ll be back in the regular season. I had the Knicks pegged as legitimate title threats after their crafty pickup of Anunoby. However, if they cannot secure at least a top 5 seed, it will be an uphill battle to obtain tangible postseason success. The Knicks have several tough matchups on the horizon, and tonight’s matchup against the league’s worst team is not one they can afford to throw away.

New York are double-digit favorites for just the second time in a month, even though they will march out their severely injured lineup. I expect the Knicks to pick up a win, but I won’t be touching a -700 moneyline with a team who has lost 5 of the last 6. Instead, we’re going to hold our breath and tail the Pistons on the spread tonight. Detroit may be losing games, but they have been consistently covering these big spreads all season long. Other than a suspended Isiah Stewart, the Pistons haven’t been this healthy in months, and I’ll scoop up the 11 points on offer. Detroit has covered the spread in 13 of their last 18 games, and this is a perfect opportunity to add to that record. New York doesn’t have the offensive presence inside to take advantage of a missing Stewart, and there are no shortage of shooters on the Pistons who can go make open shots. Newcomer Simone Fontecchio will be able to match the impact of Bogdanovic, and the Pistons will look to wash the bitter taste out of their mouths after a heartbreaking last second defeat to the Magic last time out. Finally, the Knicks have a tough game against the Pelicans on tap for tomorrow night. Therefore, if this one gets out of hand early in favor of New York, we could certainly see Tom Thibodeau preserve his starters in the fourth quarter, allowing the backdoor cover to possibly come through.

The second bet of the night will be on the total. The line is sitting at 223.5 points, and that feels a little bit high for these two squads. The Pistons have gone Under in 5 straight games, while the Knicks have done so in 4 of their last 5. Both of these teams need solid defense to give them a chance, and New York will slow down the pace whenever they get a chance. It’s a low line, but for a game that could possibly lose its intensity down the stretch, I’m comfortable playing the Under.

Finally, we will be taking Simone Fontecchio to continue his hot start in a Pistons uniform. His line is sitting at 12.5 points, even though he’s gone over that mark in 4 of his 5 games with Detroit, averaging 15.4 PPG. Stewart is still suspended, and Fontecchio will have the undersized Josh Hart as his assignment tonight. Even though a low scoring game is on the cards, Fontecchio will do his part, and keep his hot streak rolling.

Pick: Detroit Pistons (+11) 2 Units

Pick: Pistons vs Knicks Under 223.5 1 Unit

Pick: Simone Fontecchio Over 12.5 Points 2 Units

2023-24 Season record:

ML Record: 10-4

Spread Record: 16-14

Total Record: 12-8

Player Props Record: 16-25

Total: 54-51

Up 4.4 Units

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