New York Knicks vs Nets Odds and Picks

• East-leading Nets host the New York Knicks Tuesday night
• The Knicks have moved Kemba Walker out of the rotation
• The odds and matchups can be found below with a prediction

They may only be separated by the East River, but the gap between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will be a little more pronounced when the two teams battle Tuesday night.

Brooklyn sits on top of the East with a 14-6 mark through 20 games, and even without Kyrie Irving, are a legitimate title contender.

The Knicks sit in seventh in the conference, and just shook up their rotation in the hopes of jumpstarting a team that’s gone 6-8 since a sizzling 5-1 start.

Tip-off goes at 7:30pm ET from Barclays Center, and it’s the kickoff to TNT’s Tuesday double-dip.

The Nets are a sizable 6-point favorite in this battle of Burroughs.

Knicks vs Nets Odds

Odds as of Nov 29 at DraftKings

Nets Roster Moves

The Nets could be without sharpshooter Joe Harris for two months as he will undergo left ankle surgery. Big man Nic Claxton (illness) is expected to be out around two weeks.

Harris’ loss has started a trickle down effect on the roster, the biggest change is Blake Griffin is getting sent to the bench, as BK will run with fellow veteran LaMarcus Aldridge.

Griffin has started 17 games for the Nets this season, but the move is more about spacing than it is about level of play.

Blake Griffin this season:

5.5 PPG
4.9 RPG
31.8% FG
16.1% 3PT
69.6% FT

The Nets have removed him from the rotation pic.twitter.com/RpVrwbME0Q

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) November 29, 2021

Despite being far removed from his all-star days, Griffin has been a steady presence and sturdy defender, but he’s averaging a career-low 5.5 points. Griffin is shooting just 16.1% from behind the arc and a career-low 31.8% from the field.

Aldridge can be a release valve, as he’s always been a sturdy jump shooter, which is what Brooklyn needs to surround Kevin Druant and James Harden with. Aldridge is averaging 13.8 points, 5.9 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field in about 22 minutes per game.

Knicks Roster Moves

For the Knicks, RJ Barrett was listed on the injury report with an illness, and he’s questionable for Tuesday, alongside big man Nerlens Noel, who’s dealing with a knee ailment. New York will already be short Derrick Rose (ankle) and Taj Gibson (hip).

Tom Thibodeau on putting Alec Burks in the starting lineup moving forward

"We gotta do something different" pic.twitter.com/uJyaP8HDGz

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 29, 2021

The biggest news, however, is that 4-time all-star Kemba Walker will move out of the starting lineup and out of the rotation altogether.

Alec Burks will move into the starting lineup to replace Walker, a New York city hoops legend who returned home on a 2-year, $20 million pact with the Knicks this year.

After a decent start to the campaign, the wheels have fallen off. The 31-year-old is averaging career lows in scoring (11.1), assists (3.1) and minutes (24.5). Walker is shooting just 39% from the field and 29% from 3-point range through 12 games in November.

New York vs Brooklyn Recent Results

After an uneven 2-3 start to the season, the Nets have dusted the competition, going 12-3 in their last 15. Their losses have come against the top-end teams: they were beaten by a solid Bulls team playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the NBA-leading Warriors and most recently, a 113-107 loss to the Phoenix Suns, who extended their win streak to 15 games.

Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant Had 39pts 9 rbs 7 assists KD Shot 46% from the Field ..4 Threes 4 steals & a BLK ..In 45 min ..in loss to the Suns pic.twitter.com/bagUzsQQfN

— NetsKingdom 👑🗽 (@NetsKingdomAJ) November 28, 2021

Durant, tied for the NBA scoring lead was his usual dominant self, dropping 39 points, adding nine boards, seven assists and four steals. He’s averaging 28.6 on the year, on a ridiculous 54.3% shooting from the field and 41.1% from downtown.

The yo-yo season for James Harden continues, though, as the Beard had a wildly disappointing triple-double in the loss. Along with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists, he was just 4-for-15 from the field, 0-for-6 from three and totaled seven turnovers.

The Knicks fly into Brooklyn after an impressive 99-90 win in Atlanta, putting an end to the Hawks’ 7-game win streak.

The Alec Burks Show vs. Atlanta Hawks pic.twitter.com/XAH49aVJll

— Ron from Owings Mills (@Sprewellfan8) November 29, 2021

Burks led the way for New York with 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Evan Fournier added 20, as the pair combined to shoot 8-for-13 from three point range.

That helped offset an off-night from all-star Julius Randle, who was just 3-for-14 from the field for eight points, while adding 11 rebounds and four assists.

Knicks vs Nets Pick

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Nets’ current run is their work on defense. They are seventh in defensive rating, while holding teams to 105.4 points per game, a top-10 mark. They are tops in field goal (30.7%), and second in three-point shooting defense (42.6%).

Brooklyn is just outside the top-10 in scoring at 109.5 points a night, while shooting the three-ball at the second-best rate (37.5%).

The Efficiency Landscape. What Jumps Out? pic.twitter.com/Uscs8LJw3L

— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) November 25, 2021

The Knicks were the league’s top defensive scoring team a year ago, but they’re now 13th, while they rank 19th in scoring.

Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS within their division, and they’re 7-2 ATS against the Knicks in their last nine head-to-head battles. The Knicks are just 5-10 ATS in their last 15.

Considering the Nets haven’t lost to a team outside the top-6 in each conference all season — each of their losses have come against a team currently with at least 13 wins — expect them to handle the Knicks with ease.

The Pick: Nets -6 (-115)