Nets-Knicks: Betting Trends, Game Notes for Wednesday Night

The Nets (41-38) have possession of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference after their win over the Rockets on Tuesday night. Brooklyn will take on the Knicks (35-44) on Wednesday looking to maintain momentum.

Nets at Knicks Odds

Spread: Nets -5 (-110)
Total: 229.0 (-110)
Moneyline: Knicks +175
Odds via PointsBet

Ongoing Trends

Brooklyn has lost each of the last 10 games in the second game of a back-to-back.
The Nets haven’t covered the spread in any of their past five contests.

Brooklyn Futures

To make the playoffs: -550
To win the Eastern Conference: +350
To win the NBA Finals: +650

Experts Leaning Nets?

The Knicks have played the Nets close this season despite losing all three games to date. Yet, as Raheem Palmer of the Action Network notes, Tom Thibodeau’s squad hasn’t yet faced Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Palmer sees Brooklyn’s offense being too much for New York with the pair of stars expected to suit up.

Although the Knicks have played the Nets close this season, they’ve yet to face the duo of Kevin Durant and Irving and they could be in for a rude awakening facing this Nets offense that is scoring 124.5 points per 100 possessions with those two on the floor. They’re also outscoring teams by +11.3 points per 100 possessions as well. Despite with their struggles on the defensive end of the floor, the Nets appear to have an edge here.

The Knicks rank 18th in defensive transition points per 100 possessions (2.9) and they’ll be facing a Nets team that ranks top-10 (3.1) in generating points in transition. The Knicks have lost two out of their past three games, giving up 1.28 and 1.29 points per possession against the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers and I’m expecting the Nets to perform similarly in a game they have to win if they want home court in the Play-In Tournament.

More Nets-Knicks Notes

Julius Randle, Cam Reddish, Derrick Rose, and Nerlens Noel will all be sidelined for the Knicks. Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride are both questionable for the Wednesday night matchup.
Obi Toppin is expected to get the opportunity to guard Durant and he’s not backing down, as Ethan Sears of the New York Post relays. “We got to win tomorrow,” Toppin said on Tuesday. “We lost so many close games against them. We just gotta get a win. We gotta come out with a lot of energy. We’re in our home in the Garden, so we gotta come out with this win.”