New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets Prediction: Can Isaiah Hartenstein Continue to Produce?
The New York Knicks hit the road for a road trip as they travel to Houston tonight to take on the Rockets. Can Isaiah Hartenstein continue to produce for the Knicks? Ben Rajavuori answers in his New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets prediction.
Ben Rajavuori - February 12, 2024, 4:40 PM EST
7 minNew York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets Prediction: Can Isaiah Hartenstein Continue to Produce?
The New York Knicks have lost three of their last four games as they still deal without Julius Randle and did not have Jalen Brunson for a lot of those games either. The Knicks are battling injuries, but they are still having a good season and are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 33–20.
On the other side, the Houston Rockets have lost four games in a row now and have dropped to 12th place in the Western Conference with a record of 23–29. With the Knicks getting a little bit healthier, they are three point favorites tonight on the road. What should we expect in this game?
Knicks vs. Rockets DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: February 12, 2023
- Game Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Where To Watch: NBA League Pass
New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets Prediction
The player I am targeting tonight is Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein is a center for the Knicks and has been serving as the starting center with the loss of Julius Randle. Randle is still out for at least the next few weeks with the shoulder injury and Hartenstein will be starting in his place for the time being.
Hartenstein has only started 24 games this season, but he has been a serviceable backup for the Knicks this season and plays well as a starter. While he is not a high-volume scorer, he is excellent at facilitating and assisting in the offense. Out of the starting role, he is averaging 11.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
His line tonight is 10.5 rebounds+assists. This line has come down dramatically now that Hertenstein is a little bit banged up. Hertenstein reaggravated an older Achilles injury in the last game against the Mavericks and left the game after playing 15 minutes. The injury is discounting his line tonight and I am willing to buy the discount. He was lined at 14.5 rebounds+assists just the other night against Memphis.
Hartenstein is averaging 10.7 rebounds+assists per game this season, but that was mostly playing as the backup and fewer minutes. He was averaging just 25 minutes per game when Randle was healthy, but he is now logging in the mid-30s. In the 19 games Hartentein has played 30 or more minutes, he has hit over 10.5 rebounds+assists 18 times.
If he does play tonight, he should play over 30 minutes given the depth for the Knicks at center, and this is a very doable line for him on rebounds alone, but he has also been averaging 3.3 assists in February so far. If he ends up not playing due to the injury, this bet voids anyway, but I am willing to take the chance on him if he can suit up to hit this discounted low line tonight.
New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets Pick
3 Unit Pick: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 10.5 Rebounds+Assists -125 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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