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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 1/27/2025

by Spencer Toth - 1/27/2025

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping Jalen Brunson New York Knicks

The red hot New York Knicks welcome the Memphis Grizzlies to town who bring a six-game win streak to New York. 

All season long, Doc’s Sports will break down every New York Knicks weekday game, including free best bets for each matchup. 

On Tuesday night, the New York Knicks took down the Brooklyn Nets 99-95. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 25 points and 16 rebounds, but it was abundantly clear he was not healthy on the court. His thumb and knee were real issues, and the lengthy time off for New York will help him get ready for the second half of the year. Make no mistake, it was New York’s defense that allowed them to pick up the victory. They held the Nets to just 44 second half points and forced them to shoot just 37% from the floor. New York’s defense may have fallen asleep in the first half, but when they needed stops the most, they were able to get them. They managed to shake off a slow start offensively in the fourth quarter, after they went 1/10 from the floor with just 3 points scored in the first nine minutes of the final frame. 

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From a betting perspective, we went 0-2. New York may have gotten the win, but their offensive cold spells prevented them from covering the -11.5 point spread. Towns was effective on the inside, but his thumb issues were affecting his three-point shot, and he went 0/3 from deep. 

On Saturday night, New York extended their win streak to three games with a 143-120 drubbing of the Sacramento Kings. All five starters scored 18+ points, with OG Anunoby’s 33 points leading the way. Despite allowing 120 points, the Knicks held De'Aaron Fox to just 14 points and 4 assists in 34 minutes of action. 

Tonight, there is a massive matchup brewing at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks (30-16) welcome the Memphis Grizzlies (31-15) to town. Memphis has won six consecutive games heading into this matchup, but only one of those victories came against a team currently in the top 10 of either conference. Memphis went out there and got the job done with five double digit wins against the lower third of the league but will have a much tougher test against New York tonight. 

The Grizzlies are led by Ja Morant offensively, but their scoring depth is what has turned them into one of the best teams in the league. Memphis has been plagued with injuries this year, but their depth has allowed them to keep piling on the wins regardless of who is missing from the lineup. They have a total of 13 players averaging at least 7.7 PPG this season, which totals up to 100.1 PPG without taking into account all five starters score 11.9 PPG or more. They are as healthy as they have been all year with only Marcus Smart on the injury report and will be confident they can overpower the Knicks tonight. 

While Morant is still the leader of this team, the emergence of Jaren Jackson Jr. over the last season and a half has been remarkable. He now leads the team with 22.9 PPG and is a menace on the defensive end with team highs in both steals (1.4) and blocks (1.5). Were it not for Victor Wembanyama’s incredible defensive play, Jackson Jr. would be a front runner for the DPOY award this season. Jackson Jr. and Towns will go head to head in the paint, and New York will be forced to also deal with the size of 7 foot 4 Zach Edey inside. The Knicks have the size and tenacity on the defensive end to compete and will need a big game from Precious Achiuwa on the defensive end. 

The Knicks have struggled at stopping the three-point shot this year, allowing the second-best three point percentage against with 37.7% through the first 46 games of the season. Memphis chucks up the 7th most threes with the 6th best efficiency, which looms large for a Knicks team struggling on the defensive end. 

It has been difficult to get a good read on the Knicks this year. They have shown a lack of focus against the bottom half of the league but have also been able to pull off upsets against true NBA contenders. The Grizzlies certainly fall into the latter category, and New York will need to play solid basketball on both ends of the court if they hope to extend their win streak at the expense of the Grizzlies. While fading the Knicks as a short home favorite doesn’t feel great, it is hard to deny the value of a healthy Grizzlies team with a +3.5 point spread. Memphis has been able to share the ball on offense and will look to expose whoever is matched up with Jalen Brunson on the defensive end. Brunson has struggled on defense and is quickly turning from a gritty defender into a player who resembles prime James Harden. For the first bet of the evening, we will be taking Memphis Grizzlies +3.5. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be taking Karl-Anthony Towns to have Under 1.5 three pointers. He has a sprained thumb on his shooting hand and has not been able to shoot from deep like he did before the injury. He has gone just 1/10 from deep in the last three games, with several ugly air balls included. The +120 odds on this under are too good to pass up, as I expect Towns to primarily operate in the paint rather than drifting behind the arc. 

For the third bet of the night, we will be taking Jalen Brunson to score over 25.5 points. The Grizzlies thrive at shutting down the interior, and Brunson is the perfect candidate for a big game on the outside. He has scored 25+ in 6 of his last 8 games, and there is no reason to expect that trend to change tonight. The high 241-point total implies there will be plenty of scoring, and Brunson is capable of generating his own offense late in the shot clock. 

Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (+3.5) 5 Units

Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns Under 1.5 Threes +120 3 Units

Pick: Jalen Brunson Over 25.5 Points 3 Units

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