Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for the Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks NBA matchup.
Seven games of NBA action are tipping off across tonight’s NBA slate. Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Brooklyn Nets will face off against the New York Knicks.
This is the third of four matchups between these New York teams. The Knicks have produced victories in each of the first two games this season, but each matchup took place back in November.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Knicks enter as 10.5-point favorites and hold -575 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Nets hold +425 odds of winning outright with the game total set at 221.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Wednesday night matchup.
Nets vs. Knicks Preview
The Brooklyn Nets are off to a 12-29 start to the season, which slots them at 13th place in the Eastern Conference. The organization is firmly in their rebuild, and are on the heels of using five first round picks to bring in young talent in the previous draft. They enter this matchup having lost eight of their last nine games played. On the season, Brooklyn has gone 20-20-1 against the spread this season, with the game total going under in 24 of their 41 games played.
Michael Porter Jr. has been a massive bright spot for the Nets all year, playing at a legitimate All-Star level despite the lack of team support. The former Nuggets’ standout is averaging 25.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, while shooting 39.8% on three-point attempts. Cam Thomas adds 17.3 points and 3.1 assists, while Noah Clowney, Nic Claxton, and Egor Demin are also averaging in double figures. Day’Ron Sharpe is listed as questionable with an illness, while Haywood Highsmith will be sidelined tonight.
Brooklyn has struggled to score the ball this season, tallying a league-worst 109.0 points per game. They also rank 26th in offensive rating, 29th in field goal percentage, 21st in three-point percentage, and 27th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 114.3 points per game against them, which ranks 10th in the NBA. The Nets also rank 24th in defensive rating, 28th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 29th in opponents’ three-point percentage allowed.
The New York Knicks looked to be shaping up to be legitimate championship contenders, complete with an In-Season Tournament title. But they have fallen off a cliff of late, losing nine of their last 11. Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting to attempt to get the season back on track. On the year overall, the Knicks hold a record of 25-18, which puts them in third place in the Eastern Conference. New York has gone 21-23 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 24 of their 44 games played.
Injuries have been a part of the reason for the recent struggles, but certainly not the driving force. They enter this matchup with a clean bill of health and will look to return to the level of production they showed at the start of the season. Jalen Brunson headlines the production with 28.1 points and 6.1 assists per game on the season. Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled of late, but is still posting averages of 21.0 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are responsible for the bulk of the production at the wing positions, while Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and Jordan Clarkson have played their way into key roles.
As a team, the Knicks are scoring 117.9 points per game on the season, which ranks eighth in the NBA. They also rank fifth in offensive rating, 16th in field goal percentage, third in three-point percentage, and 24th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 114.9 points per game against the Knicks, which ranks 11th in the league. They also rank 18th in defensive rating, 15th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 26th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Nets vs. Knicks Prediction, Best Bet
It is to be determined how effective this players only meeting was for the Knicks getting back on track for the season. But it does not take an advanced basketball eye to spot trouble in paradise when watching them of late. Beyond just losing nine of their previous 11, frustration has been evident across the floor with poor body language and an alarming lack of effort.
The Brooklyn Nets have plenty of roster problems that will not be resolved this season. But the youthful squad has shown an admirable level of effort and competes on an every-night basis. The Knicks covered the 15.5 and 12.5-point spreads in the two previous games between these two teams. But Brooklyn has done a better job of keeping things competitive in recent games. They lost by nine to the Suns in their previous game and to the Pelicans by three, the Mavericks by eight, and the Grizzlies by five across the past 10 days.Â
There is no argument against the Knicks being the more talented team. However Brooklyn is maximizing their level of talent at a rate that New York simply isn’t. The Nets have also started to develop an identity as a defensive-minded team as the season has progressed, and expect their length and athleticism to provide some problems tonight.
In addition, the Knicks’ inability to guard the three-point line will be problematic tonight. New York ranks 26th in opponents’ three-point attempts allowed and 27th in opponents’ three-point percentage so far this season. Brooklyn attempts the sixth-most three-point attempts in the NBA, and Michael Porter Jr. will especially be a weapon in this matchup.
There is no switch to flip to return this Knicks team to playing to the peak of their abilities. Expect there to continue to be growing pains in the coming games, and for a youthful Nets team to be able to push them. Brooklyn competes hard, has a stingy defense, and is capable of getting hot from the perimeter. These factors will make it difficult to fully put them away, and expect the Nets to compete for the entirety of the game. The Knicks do not currently look like they should be 10.5-point favorites against anyone, with the Nets included on this list. Count on Brooklyn keeping things competitive and for the final score to fall within single digits tonight.