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Free NBA Picks New York Knicks: Season-Long Handicapping and Specialization 1/3/2025

by Spencer Toth - 1/3/2025

Free NBA picks New York Knicks season long handicapping Isaiah Hartenstein OKC Thunder

The New York Knicks are red hot, having won 9 consecutive games since being bounced from the NBA Cup last month. They will be desperate to extend the streak into double digits for the seventh time in franchise history, but a tough test against the Western Conference leaders stands in their way. All season long, Doc’s Sports will break down every New York Knicks weekday game while providing free picks. 

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On Monday night, the Knicks beat the lowly Washington Wizards for the second time in a week, 126-106. Josh Hart led the way with a 23-point triple-double, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored a game-high 32 points. The Knicks took just a two-point lead into halftime but poured it on down the stretch. 

From a betting perspective, we went a perfect 2-0. The Knicks ability to limit the Wizards to just 18 fourth quarter points allowed them to not only win but cover the -12 point spread too. We correctly identified several soft spots in the Washington defense and didn’t fall for the betting trap after these two teams went to overtime just last week. The second bet of the night was Jalen Brunson to haul in Over 2.5 rebounds. He picked up two rebounds in the opening two minutes but made us sweat down the stretch as he collected his third with just 4 minutes to play. 

They kept the win streak going with their Wednesday night victory over the Utah Jazz. New York dominated in the mid range to overcome the absence of both Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride. Towns and Hart erupted for another pair of big games, as Towns scored 31 points with 21 rebounds, while Hart posted his fifth straight double-double and second consecutive triple double. 

Tonight, the New York Knicks (24-10) face their toughest test of the season as they hit the road to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (28-5). Both of these teams have legitimate title aspirations, and it would not be crazy to call this a potential NBA Finals preview. The Knicks are in the midst of a hot streak after their 13-10 start to the season, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have been on a hot streak all year long. They have won 13 games in a row, with all of those victories coming by 6 or more points. It is quite rare to see two NBA teams face off who are both on massive win streaks like this, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for both teams tonight. 

The Thunder are a very young team that looks poised to challenge for an NBA title multiple times over the next decade. In the offseason, they traded away Josh Giddey for some veteran talent with Alex Caruso and also scooped up Isiah Hartenstein in free agency. Hartenstein was effective in New York. However, with the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns and the emergence of Mitchell Robinson, New York was forced to let him walk. Hartenstein has been solid on the defensive end and is just one of many reasons the Thunder have the best defensive rating in the league. The Thunder aren’t winning games thanks to their red hot shooting from deep, but rather the hustle they put in on a nightly basis and all the little things they do right. They not only lead the league with 11.9 steals per game, but they also turn the ball over just 11 times per game themselves, the fewest in the NBA. All these extra possessions add up throughout an entire game, and it’s not surprising to see the Thunder on a dominant win streak with stats like these. 

The Thunder are a young team, and they are led by 26-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The rising Canadian superstar has been incredibly consistent for the Thunder, scoring 31.2 PPG. While his high average is certainly impressive, it has been his consistency on both ends of the court that has allowed OKC to pile up the wins. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 20+ points in an astonishing 29 consecutive games for the Thunder. 

The Thunder have a stockpile of draft capital to reinforce their squad over the next decade, and it is abundantly clear they will be near the top of the Western Conference standings for the foreseeable future. These are two of the best teams in the league, and the whole NBA world is hoping to see healthy rosters when these two teams go at it tonight. 

Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride both missed the Knicks last game against the Jazz and are questionable for tonight. Across the court, the Thunder had a tough game against the Clippers last night, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see an injury pop up tonight against the Knicks. 

The point spread is at 4.5 points in favor of the Thunder, and there isn’t much value on either side as both teams are capable of pulling out the victory. Instead, we will look to the 222 point total for value. These are two solid defensive teams. and I am expecting a slow pace of play tonight in Oklahoma City. New York consistently tries to play a slow-paced half-court offense and does a great job at getting back with excellent transition defense. The lack of quick points will prevent the total from soaring over this line. There will be a playoff-like atmosphere tonight. And even with a pair of solid offenses going head-to-head, maximum defensive effort will be enough to keep this total just under 222 points. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be taking Isiah Hartenstein to get involved on the defensive end. Hartenstein has faced off against Brunson numerous times in practice, and will be able to disrupt the pick-and-roll game of Brunson and Towns. His Steals+Blocks line is at 1.5, and this is a number he can certainly clear tonight. He has done so in three straight games, and his familiarity with the Knicks offense will allow him to find success once again. 

Pick: Knicks vs Thunder Under 222 5 Units

Pick: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 1.5 Steals + Blocks -120 8 Units

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