Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Prediction: Are the Knicks Trustworthy on the Road?
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Prediction: Are the Knicks Trustworthy on the Road?
When: Wednesday, December 8, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to Watch: MSG/NBA League Pass
Spread: Pacers -5
Total: 209
Click Here For Pacers vs Knicks Odds
Pacers vs. Knicks Prediction
Shame on me for doubting the math.
Yesterday I went through the Knicks impressive numbers against the spread while on the road (they were 5th in average margin away from home going into last night) but ultimately concluded they hadn’t earned the right to be picked against anyone, not with their overall inconsistency, and especially not coming off a no-show job this weekend against the Nuggets.
Sure enough, they went into San Antonio and beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA in a game that was never really close in the second half. That made the Knicks 3-0 ATS in their last three road games, with covers against the Hawks, Nets, and now Spurs. They’ve moved up to having the fourth-best margin against the spread on the road and face a team they beat 92-84 a month ago in their best defensive performance of the season.
As for Indiana, this will be their first game since The Athletic dropped an article essentially saying the front office and ownership were aligned with mortgaging off pieces and potentially even pivoting into a tank for the rest of the year. This is also still a team with a positive scoring margin and is essentially dead even ATS at home. They just beat the Wizards in their building and always play the Knicks tough.
One thing to keep an eye on is the Knicks go as their shooting goes, more so even than most teams.
They’re 5-0 when they make at least 17 threes and 9-3 when they shoot 37 percent or higher from long range. When they shoot under 35 percent from beyond the arc, however, that record falls to 3-9. Indiana is 21st in the league in opponents’ 3-point percentage.
This game will be close, and given the generous spread, that should be enough to go with the (albeit inconsistent) Knicks where they’re most comfortable. Take the points.
Pacers vs. Knicks Pick
- Knicks +5 (-106)
Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers Prediction
When: 10:00 p.m. ET
Where to Watch: ESPN
Warriors vs. Trail Blazers Odds
Sometimes when a good, high character team is down on their luck, the right matchup against a heavily favored opponent can be just what they need to inspire the troops and get things back on track.
This will not be one of those games.
Currently embroiled in organizational turmoil in which nothing about the roster or front office is settled and in which the top two players are sidelined, the Blazers seem like this year’s “Things have completely fallen apart” team. The organizational stability which has carried them through difficult playoff losses has all but eroded, with Terry Stotts and Neil Olshay gone and Damian Lillard currently accused of trying to angle his way into a max extension.
As a result, the Blazers have a bottom-10 net rating and the single worst point differential against the spread in the NBA. That spread differential has bottomed out even further in the last two weeks, as they’ve gotten outscored by 13.3 points against their Vegas margins. They’re 1-6 in that time, both on the court and against the spread.
Now they go into the belly of the beast, where Golden State has defeated 10 of 15 opponents by at least 14 points. The Warriors are blowing away the rest of the league in home scoring margin and home margin against the spread. In their last game two nights ago, they beat the Orlando Magic by 31, and Portland might have a worse roster at the moment, at least when considering who’s healthy.
It’s a hefty number, but it’s warranted. Give the points.
Warriors vs. Trail Blazers Pick
- Warriors -14 (-110)