NBA Odds – New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets
New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets (-5.5, 192.5 o/u)
The battle of the boroughs goes tonight, as the Brooklyn Nets welcome their neighbors, the New York Knicks, to the Barclays Center at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
In the last ten crosstown meetings between these franchises, the Knicks hold a narrow 6-4 lead. But they have also won four of the last six, each by at least 11 points.
The Nets come into the game at 2-2. The offense has been consistent, averaging 107.7 PPG, third in the league. The Nets’ attack is a three-headed monster, with Joe Johnson averaging 22.0 PPG, Brook Lopez 18.0 PPG, and Deron Williams 17.0 PPG.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are 2-3 on the year and are the second-lowest scoring team in the league, averaging just 88.5 PPG. Part of the problem is an inability to get extra possessions; the Knicks are averaging just 37.8 rebounds, third-worst in the league.
Superstars Carmelo Anthony (21.3 PPG) and Amar’e Stoudemire (10.8 PPG and 8.5 RPG) need to step up if the Knicks are going to improve.
The odds have the Nets as 5.5-point favorites, and the over/under is at a low 192.5, thanks to the Knicks’ style of play. If you’re looking for a trend, the Knicks are terrible on Fridays, going 2-5 ATS in their last seven Friday games (perhaps they’re thinking too much about their evening plans); the Nets have been a good bounce-back team, going 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a loss.
(Photo credit: Keith Allison (Flickr: Carmelo Anthony) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)
Zack is a tour guide whose favorite sports are football, baseball, and golf. He enjoys giving obnoxious commentary during games and hopes to some day write a book about sports. His favorite underdog victory was the Diamondbacks beating the Yankees in game 7 of the World Series.
