Madison Square Garden is the site of a spotlight matchup between prominent NBA teams on Tuesday evening. The Los Angeles Lakers take on the New York Knicks, with the Lakers entering at 23-28 and playing on the second night of a back-to-back set. The Knicks are 12-13 at Madison Square Garden this season, with New York posting a 27-24 overall record. Mitchell Robinson (thumb) is out for New York. LeBron James (ankle) is questionable for Los Angeles, while Anthony Davis (knee) is probable.
Caesars Sportsbook lists New York as the 1.5-point favorite at home for this 7:30 p.m. ET tip. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 232 in the latest Lakers vs. Knicks odds. Before locking in any Knicks vs. Lakers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 49-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Lakers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Lakers vs. Knicks:
- Lakers vs. Knicks spread: Knicks -1.5
- Lakers vs. Knicks over/under: 232 points
- Lakers vs. Knicks money line: Knicks -125, Lakers +105
- LAL: The Lakers are 4-4 against the spread with no rest
- NYK: The Knicks are 9-14-2 against the spread in home games
- Lakers vs. Knicks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Why the Lakers can cover
The Lakers have strengths on both ends of the floor. Los Angeles ranks in the top five of the NBA in free throw attempts, averaging more than 25 per game, and the Lakers are also in the top five in both fast break points and points in the paint. The Lakers commit a turnover on fewer than 14% of offensive possessions, and New York forces only 12.9 turnovers per game on defense. Beyond that, the Knicks have lost five of their last seven games, and New York has an ugly 124.6 defensive rating in those seven contests.
On the defensive end, the Lakers are above-average in field goal percentage allowed, and Los Angeles is holding opponents to less than 35% 3-point shooting this season. The Lakers also give up fewer than 23 free throw attempts per game, and the Knicks land in the bottom third of the NBA in field goal percentage, 2-point percentage, 3-point percentage, free throw percentage and assists per game on offense.
Why the Knicks can cover
The Knicks are pesky on defense, contesting shots at a high level. New York is No. 2 in the NBA in opponent field goal percentage (45.3%), and the Knicks allow only 34.9% shooting from 3-point range. Opponents are averaging only 24.8 assists per game against the Knicks, and New York is in the top eight in both fast break points allowed (12.9 per game) and points allowed in the paint (44.3 per game). Los Angeles is in the bottom tier of the NBA in 3-point accuracy on offense, playing into the hands of New York’s defensive approach.
On the other end, the Knicks are excellent on offense, scoring more than 1.15 points per possession and leading the NBA in second-chance points with 17.5 per game. New York secures almost 33% of missed shots on the offensive glass, and the Knicks commit a turnover on only 13.2% of offensive possessions with 25.6 free throw attempts per game.
How to make Knicks vs. Lakers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 239 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Lakers vs. Knicks? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
