Lakers vs. Knicks: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Lakers vs. Knicks Odds
| Lakers Odds | +2 |
| Knicks Odds | -2 |
| Over/Under | 232 |
| Date | Tue, Jan. 31 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | TNT |
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks will meet at Madison Square Garden. Entering play, Los Angeles (23-28) owns the third-worst record in the Western Conference. New York (27-24) owns the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. Tonight on TNT, oddsmakers are expecting a tightly-contested affair, pricing New York as 2-point home favorites on the spread.
Los Angeles Lakers
James listed as questionable
LeBron James is officially listed as questionable ahead of tonight’s tip-off in New York, but it is extremely likely that he suits-up for this contest. James has long been a fan of playing at Madison Square Garden, and after sitting out last night in Brooklyn – there are no workload reasons for him to be on the sidelines on Tuesday.
James is 117 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabaar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Assuming he does not sit-out any more games or have any scoring explosions in the next week, he is currently on pace to break the record on TNT against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 9.
Davis back on the floor
In two games since Anthony Davis returned to the floor following a lengthy absence, the Lakers have looked like a completely different basketball team. Despite losing to the Boston Celtics in overtime this past Saturday, Los Angeles played well and could have won in regulation if not for a highly controversial missed foul call in the closing seconds on a James shot attempt.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers rank in the 42nd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 78th percentile in defensive efficiency this season with Davis on the floor, compared to the 50th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 21st percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines. His presence is a tremendous difference-maker for this team.
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New York Knicks
No flowers in the Garden
Through their first 25 home games this year, the Knicks are 12-13 overall. They are one of only five teams in the NBA this season with a losing record on their home floor. The other four teams are the Hornets, Pistons, Spurs, and Rockets – each of which has one of the two worst overall records in their respective conference and is destined for the lottery this upcoming summer.
Missing Robinson
Since Mitchell Robinson last played his normal allotment of minutes on January 16, New York is 2-4 overall and ranks 26th out of 30 teams in Net Rating. In those six games, the Knicks rank 24th in rebound percentage and 30th in defensive efficiency.
In 38 games this year with Mitchell in uniform, New York is 21-17. They are 6-7 when he is in street clothes. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks rank in the 90th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 79th percentile in defensive efficiency this season with Robinson on the court, compared to the 55th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 22nd percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the bench.
Lakers vs. Knicks – Picks & Predictions
Assuming LeBron James plays this evening, the Lakers are the superior team in this matchup. Los Angeles has a healthy Anthony Davis and is nearing full strength, while New York is playing without Mitchell Robinson and has looked mostly lost across their last six games without him.
James and company are a live underdog in this spot. Grab them at plus-money while you can.
PICK: Lakers ML (+105, DraftKings)
Image Credit: Imagn