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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 3/14/2024

by Spencer Toth - 3/14/2024

Free NBA picks New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers Deandre Ayton

You’ve found the right place for all your NBA betting needs, as Doc’s Sports will be providing daily weekday betting picks, all season long. For every New York Knicks game, we will be giving out best bets, with the goal of using in-depth Knicks knowledge to churn a profit by the season’s end. This will include spreads, moneylines, totals, and player props, to give you the best chance of staying in the green on a nightly basis.

On Tuesday night, the Knicks took down the Philadelphia 76ers 106-79. New York was led by a 20/19/10 triple double from Josh Hart, as they managed to avenge their low scoring 79-73 loss to the 76ers just a few days prior. OG Anunoby returned to the lineup from a 6-week injury, making a solid Knick defense even better. Teams have been held under 80 points 5 times this season, with the Knicks defense claiming 3 of those excellent defensive performances.

From a betting perspective, we had a perfect night. The return of Anunoby had me confident New York would cover the 6-point spread, and they did so with ease. We also targeted an inflated Donte DiVincenzo points line, and he stayed just under 16.5 points with a 4/11 night from the field. The months of studying the Knicks is finally paying off, and we’ll look to add to our total with an intriguing matchup on the cards tonight.

Tonight, the New York Knicks (38-27) open up a 4-game road trip in Portland, taking on the Trail Blazers (19-46). Portland managed to win last night against the Hawks and are a remarkable 4-4 in their last 8 games. Their lineup has been plagued with injuries all season long. And with a majority of their starters back in action (not that it will have any tangible results), Portland has the chance to wrap up the season on a high note. While we aren't going to start planning the parade for wins against the Raptors, Hawks, and a pair against the Grizzlies, it’s a positive sign for Portland’s future trajectory less than a year after trading away Damian Lillard. Anfernee Simons leads the team in PPG (23), and his 36-point outburst last night helped the Trail Blazers get closer to their 20th win of the season. Between constant injuries, and poor play from their starters, Portland has failed to live up to their low expectations heading into the season. However, with a starting lineup of Simons, Jerami Grant, Shaedon Sharpe, Malcolm Brogdon, and DeAndre Ayton, the Trail Blazers have the potential to upset the league’s top dogs. But that won’t be happening tonight.

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Portland is on the second leg of a back-to-back, and there will be no risks taken with questionable players. We saw Sharpe, Grant, and Brogdon sit out last night, and Portland needed every one of Ayton and Simons 69 combined points to edge out the Hawks. If 3 or more of their starters sit once again, Portland will struggle to keep up. A Knicks team that is once again getting healthy will have few problems when attempting to get their 39th win of the season. And even though they are on the road, they’ll have the rest, health, and skill advantage over Portland.

The return of Anunoby could not have come fast enough, as the Knicks are in a very precarious spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are still clinging on to their 4th place spot, but with just 3 games separating themselves and the 8th place Miami Heat, it’s still all to play for down the stretch for the East playoff contenders. Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson still have no timeline for a return, leaving All-Star Jalen Brunson at the helm. Brunson is responsible for a bulk of the offensive production in New York. However, thanks to a solid Knicks defense, New York usually needs to score only 110 points or so to secure a victory. The return of Anunoby will help the Knicks on the defensive end. And while he’s not a huge offensive spark, he’s still a reliable corner 3-point shooter and can drive to the basket when necessary.

The aspirations for New York will come down to their defense. We haven’t seen a defensive powerhouse win an NBA title in decades, as the flashy scorers usually find a way to unlock even the stingiest of defensive units. However, with a top half offense, the Knicks defense could be enough to get them over the line. It’s hard to imagine New York shutting down the East’s top teams like the Celtics and Bucks over a 7-game series. However, if they can even slow them down, it could be enough to edge out a few wins.

In tonight’s matchup, the Knicks defense will have a much easier time than against the title challengers, as the lowly Trail Blazers boast the 28th ranked offensive unit. The injury report isn’t out yet for Portland. However, after seeing many of their starters sit last night, we can assume they’ll be out of the lineup once again. Ayton and Simons played fantastic basketball last night. And even though they went 25/43 from the floor for a combined 69 points, Portland still finished with just 106 points against a very bad Hawks defense. The Knicks defense has led to New York cashing 9 Unders in their last 10 games, and even with a 205-point total, we’ll still take the Under. Portland will almost certainly stay in double digits, and we may even see them come close to adding to the Knicks 3 victims that were held Under 80. Their offensive stars will be exhausted from last night, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see them throw in the towel before a ball is even touched. New York has road games against the Kings, Warriors, and Nuggets to round out this 4-game road trip, and we will almost certainly see them slow this pace down to a crawl if they can build an early lead. The 205-point total is the lowest of the season for either team. However, when Portland finishes in the 80’s New York will be unable to take it the rest of the way. Grab that Under.

The second bet of the night will be with OG Anunoby’s steals. The line is set to 1.5, evenly juiced to the Over and Under. Anunoby’s defensive impact with the Knicks cannot be overstated, and against a team that gives up the 5th most turnovers in the league, Anunoby will have plenty of opportunities to get his hands on the basketball. He’s gotten 2+ steals in 3 of his last 4 games, and as long as he doesn’t aggravate his elbow injury and gets his usual minutes, a pair of steals is a very realistic target for Anunoby.

Pick: Knicks vs Trail Blazers Under 205 3 Units

Pick: OG Anunoby Over 1.5 Steals 1 Unit

2023-24 Season record:

ML Record: 10-4

Spread Record: 20-16

Total Record: 13-10

Player Props Record: 17-30

Total: 60-60

Down 0.5 Units

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