Wizards vs. Knicks prediction, odds, pick – 11/18/2024
11/18/2024 07:00 AM
The Washington Wizards will face the New York Knicks on Monday in Manhattan. It will be a battle at Madison Square Garden as we share our NBA odds series and make a Wizards-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Knicks swept the Wizards last season, winning the four games by an average score of 118-104.3. Amazingly, they have won five games in a row in this series. New York is also 8-2 over the past 10 games against Washington.
Here are the Wizards-Knicks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Wizards-Knicks Odds
Washington Wizards: +13.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +610
New York Knicks: -13.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -900
Over: 231.5 (-108)
Under: 231.5 (-112)
How To Watch Wizards vs. Knicks
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
TV: MSG and MNMT
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Wizards Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Wizards are off to a terrible start. Still, Alex Sarr is developing into a great player and may be one of the players that helps the Wizards eventually get back to respectability.
Sarr and the rest of the Wizards’ scoring has been inconsistent. Significantly, they are 19th in points. The Wizards are also 23rd in field-goal shooting percentage, including 27th from beyond the arc. However, they have excelled at the charity stripe, going seventh from the free-throw line. But they have struggled on the boards, ranking 24th in rebounds. The Wizards also are struggling to hold onto the rock, ranking 19th in turnovers. Conversely, the defense has been solid, ranking fourth in blocked shots.
Sarr is not the best player on the team yet. Ultimately, Jordan Poole has that honor right now. Poole had an explosive game earlier in the week, going off for 42 points against the San Antonio Spurs. Now, he hopes to keep the momentum going and attempt to steal a game from the Knicks. The Wizards would like to see more from Bilal Coulibaly, especially against New York. Surprisingly, he only averaged five points over three games against the Knicks in his rookie season.
Kyle Kuzma is another excellent player who can make headway against the Knicks. So far, he has put up good numbers against the Knicks, averaging 20.1 points over 15 games against them throughout his career. Winning the board battle will be key, and that’s where Jonas Valanciunas comes in. Substantially, he is averaging 12.1 points and 10 rebounds over 34 games against the Knicks.
The Wizards will cover the spread if they can build a coherent playbook and convert on their shooting chances. Then, they must stop the top stars that the Knicks throw at them.
Why the Knicks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Knicks are staggering early. Regardless, Jalen Brunson continues to win games for them after hitting a game-winner against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Brunson gives this offense some life, which is one reason they are staying above ground.
The Knicks are the second-best team in the association in field-goal shooting percentage, including fifth from beyond the arc. They have also done well at the charity stripe, ranking sixth in free-throw shooting percentage. New York has also done well at holding onto the basketball, as they come into this game ranking fourth in turnovers. Ironically, rebounding and defense have been issues for the Knicks. They ranked 23rd in rebounds and 28th in blocked shots.
Brunson continues to excel, and he has had great support from others in the lineup. Overall, Karl-Anthony Towns has been great with the Knicks and has done well against the Wizards, averaging 26.9 points and 10.6 rebounds over 14 career showdowns. OG Anunoby has also succeeded against the Wizards, averaging 14.8 points over 19 games against them. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges will look to add to the fire, as he has averaged 13.4 points over 14 games against the Wizards.
The Knicks will cover the spread if Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, and Bridges can have good games on shooting. Then, the defense must force turnovers and sustain the momentum.
Final Wizards-Knicks Prediction & Pick
The Wizards and Knicks are both coming off Sunday games. Thus, neither team will have much of a chance for rest. While the Wizards have to travel from D.C. to New York, the Knicks stay home after their clash with the Brooklyn Nets. Significantly, the Wizards are 0-1 against the spread when they have had no rest, while the Knicks are also 0-1 in the same scenario.
The Wizards are 3-9 against the spread, while the Knicks are 5-8 against the odds. Moreover, the Wizards are 2-4 against the spread on the road, while the Knicks are just 2-4 against the odds at home. Despite that, the Knicks have a massive talent advantage over the Wizards, making it tough to believe the Wizards can shock them here. I’m going with the Knicks to win and cover the spread at the Garden.
Final Wizards-Knicks Prediction & Pick: New York Knicks: -13.5 (-110)
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