Warriors vs. Knicks Odds, Preview & Prediction: Bet Under at MSG — December 14
Warriors vs. Knicks Odds
| Warriors Odds | -5 |
| Knicks Odds | +5 |
| Over/Under | 214.5 |
| Date | Tuesday, Dec. 14 |
| Time | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC |
Tonight, the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks will battle at Madison Square Garden. Entering play on Tuesday, Stephen Curry remains two three-pointers away from breaking the all-time record. The Warriors will be playing on a back-to-back after a come-from-behind victory against the Indiana Pacers yesterday evening. New York will be playing their first game since losing Sunday at home to the Milwaukee Bucks. Oddsmakers are anticipating a tightly-contested affair in this one, pricing the Warriors as 4.5-point road favorites on the spread at online sportsbooks.
Now, let’s take a closer look at Warriors vs. Knicks odds before making our prediction and pick for Tuesday, December 14.
Warriors
Per Anthony Slater, the Warriors’ plane did not land in New York City until shortly after noon earlier this afternoon. Slater mentioned that the team likely got to the hotel between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. Golden State used a relatively condensed rotation yesterday, playing Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Stephen Curry each 31 minutes or more. Jordan Poole also played 29 minutes.
Fatigue has not been a problem for the Warriors yet this season, winning two of three games when playing on no rest. Golden State has the best record in the NBA when playing with a rest disadvantage this year, winning six of their eight contests. Golden State’s lone loss on the latter half of a back-to-back set came to the San Antonio Spurs by five points. Otto Porter Jr. is out for today’s contest as he continues to manage a left foot injury. Everyone else appears good to go for the Dubs against the Knicks.
Knicks
New York will be without R.J. Barrett and Obi Toppin in this contest, due to health and safety protocols. The absence of two key contributors is unlikely to help New York’s chances of winning this matchup, considering that they have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season when playing at home. In 14 games at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks are 5-9 overall, having been outscored by 5.3 points per 100 possessions–ranking 27th out of 30 teams in Net Rating.
Over their last eight games, New York has struggled mightily, ranking 23rd in Net Rating, winning only twice. Even after removing Kemba Walker from the rotation, the Knicks have struggled mightily at slowing down their opponents, ranking 25th in defensive efficiency during this span. New York has also found it difficult to score the basketball, ranking 19th in offensive efficiency.
Pick and Prediction
Golden State is dealing with significant travel issues ahead of this contest, having not landed in New York City until only hours before tip-off. Fatigue could be a significant issue for the Dubs on the second-half of a back-to-back, and likely missing shootaround. Still, New York is missing Barrett and Topin in this matchup. The Knicks recent results should not inspire bettors to back them, even playing at home, and even having a rest advantage.
Instead of looking at the side in this affair, bettors should turn their attention to the total. Golden State is likely to slow the pace in this contest, and is likely to experience some tired legs–which could hurt their shooting from the perimeter. Make it a small play, but take the under in this one–and enjoy watching history as Stephen Curry becomes the all-time three-point leader.
PICK: Under 212.5 (-110), available at BetMGM
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