Nets vs. Knicks Odds
| Nets Odds | +2.5 |
| Knicks Odds | -2.5 |
| Over/Under | 220.5 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBA League Pass |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
The Brooklyn Nets showed off their new-look lineup on Saturday to no avail, and will try for their first win as a collective unit against the New YorkKnicks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden in a rivalry renewed.
The Nets have won nine straight games against the Knicks in their cross-town rivalry. It might be time to start respecting the Knicks, though. They've been playing well and have only seemed to get better after adding a key piece at the trade deadline.
Here's a breakdown of the Nets vs Knicks odds and how these teams will match up Monday.
Brooklyn Nets
Handicapping the Nets here is a difficult task given much of their team is different in the wake of two huge trades involving Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. They debuted their new-look lineup with Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson joining the fold in a loss to the Sixers on Saturday evening.
That game saw the Nets struggle mightily on offense. Philly has been one of the worst defenses around over the last 10 games, ranking 23rd with 117.7 points allowed per 100 possessions, yet Brooklyn mustered up an Offensive Rating of just 107.7.
There were surely some highlights, but down the stretch of a close this team looked like it was lost. Brooklyn scored just 16 in the fourth quarter, failing to score on 11 of their last 12 possessions, not including the final shot of the game, which came off an out-of-bounds play with 0.9 seconds remaining.
It was clear in this game that Brooklyn misses the creativity and the shot-making of Irving and Durant, particularly in close games. Fans were left with a good taste in their mouths after Spencer Dinwiddie hit a 3-pointer from the logo that would have sent the game to overtime had there been one-tenth of a second more remaining. For the majority of the fourth quarter, Dinwiddie failed to be what the Nets needed. He was 1-for-3 in the final period with two turnovers, and the new additions — Johnson, Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith — combined to go 0-for-7 from the field. The only Nets doing much of anything were the guys who have been there, like Cam Thomas and Joe Harris.
Bridges did have 23 in the game to lead the way for Brooklyn, but that was about the only positive thing that can be said about that offensive performance. Perhaps the lights were too bright in the fourth quarter, but whatever the case it was not a promising finish to a game which started off on a great note with the Nets building a lead of 12 at one point.
New York Knicks
The Knicks also made a big trade at the deadline, going out and acquiring Josh Hart from the Trail Blazers, but unlike the Nets they didn't need to move any core pieces, or any pieces at all really. Cam Reddish wasn't a member of the rotation anymore, and Svi Mykhailiuk and Ryan Arcidiacono didn't play at all. With that, it's much easier to look back on recent play and formulate an opinion of the Knicks.
New York has now gone back-to-back games with a Defensive Rating of 123 points or worse, and over the last 10 games ranks 20th in points against per 100 possessions. With that being said, their offense — which ranks just outside the top 10 in the last 10 games — may be getting a bit stronger with Hart joining the fold.
The Knicks posted a 128.6 Offensive Rating in a win over Utah on Saturday which marked their fourth-best night on that end of the floor so far this season. They were pacing for 144.2 points per 100 possessions with Hart on the floor, and just 108.5 with him off.
It's incredibly early, and that sample size with him on the floor is just about 26 minutes, but it's clear he adds to a Knicks scoring unit already growing in confidence. He had 11 points and helped the team down the stretch with eight in the fourth, unlike the Nets' additions.
Nets-Knicks Pick
Brooklyn is going to need some time to figure things out without Irving and Durant on the roster. Dinwiddie has long sought after a primary ball-handler role like the one he briefly had in his last tenure with Brooklyn, and perhaps he's just a bit over-eager to be the guy early on.
The same could be said with Bridges stepping into a larger role for the first time in his career. Whatever the case, this team is searching for answers on offense, and it's anyone's guess how long it takes them to settle in.
Defensively, things seem to be leveling over the last few games after a stretch of calamity, but I'm a pretty big fan of the way the Knicks are scoring the ball at the moment. They also continue to dominate on the second unit with their bench ranking second in Net Rating over the last 10 games.
The Knicks are further along than the Nets at this point and have the strongest unit in this game with the way their offense is playing. They are deserving favorites here at home, and they should win this game comfortably.
Pick: Knicks -2.5 — Bet to -5. |
