In the final game on Thursday night in the Associaton, the Knicks will begin a four-game West Coast road trip against the Kings at 10 p.m. ET on TNT. The Knicks and Kings have been the surprise stories in the NBA this season, as they are both legit contenders in their respective conferences. These two teams first played each other in December, with the Knicks winning 112- 99 at Madison Square Garden.
The Kings (38-26) have won four out of their past five games and are the second seed in the West, just ahead of the Grizzlies. Sacramento is seven games behind Denver for first place, but it looks like the Kings are on their way to being one of the top-three seeds and Pacific Division champion for the first time since 2002-23.
The Knicks (38-29) are one of the hottest teams in basketball, winning nine out of their past 10 games and setting themselves up to be a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference. New York is currently in the five spot but is just 2.5 games behind the Cavaliers for the fourth seed. The Knicks are coming off a tough loss at MSG on Tuesday when they fell 112-105 to the Hornets. However, they will look to bounce tonight on the road, where they are 20-12 this season.
Can Jalen Brunson and the Knicks extend their road winning streak to five games, or will De'Aaron Fox and the Kings rain on their parade and continue their magical season? Below, we'll break down this late-night matchup while giving our prediction and best bets for basketball fans looking to win some cash.
Knicks vs. Kings odds, picks, predictions
- Spread: Knicks +2.5 (-115); Kings -2.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: 239.5
- Moneyline: Knicks +110; Kings -135
This should be a fun matchup tonight between two teams that are going to be tough outs in the first round and should make it to the semifinals in the NBA playoffs. The Knicks are short road 'dogs for tonight's game, but they've won four-straight contests away from MSG (Heat, Celtics, Wizards, and Hawks). This is a battle-tested team led by leading scorers Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. New York is 22-10 against the spread on the road (best in the NBA) and 20-13-1 ATS as an underdog. It's also 15-8 ATS as a road underdog this season and 9-6 on the money line when underdogs by three points or less.
Based on those trends, it's hard to argue against taking the Knicks on the spread or the money line tonight. However, the Kings have played excellent basketball at home this season with a 20-13 record. That includes winning six out of their past 10 games at Golden 1 Center. The Kings also have a dynamic duo led by All-Stars Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox. Sabonis is averaging a double-double (18.9 points and a league-leading 12.3 rebounds per game) to go along with seven assists per game. Fox is averaging a team-high 25.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.3 boards.
The Kings are 16-16-1 ATS at home but 21-18-1 ATS as a favorite. Sacramento can score points in bunches, leading the NBA with 121.1 points per game and an Offensive Rating of 119.4. The Knicks can score, too, but they also play some defense (112.4 ppg allowed), which will be the deciding factor in this game. The only injury of concern for tonight's game is Jalen Brunson, who is listed as "questionable" with a sore foot. If he plays, we like the Knicks to win in what should be a close game.
Best Bet: Knicks ML +110
Best player prop bet for Knicks vs. Kings: Domantas Sabonis OVER 18.5 points (+100)
If the Kings want to win tonight, they need another good performance from Sabonis. When Sacramento played the Knicks in December, the veteran big man had 20 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. New York has a formidable frontcourt with Randle and Mitchell Robinson, but it's nothing that Sabonis cannot handle. He has gone over 18.5 points in seven out of his past 10 games and had two other games with at least 18 points. Over this recent 10-game stretch, the 26-year-old center is averaging 20.4 points per game and shooting 64.8 percent from the field.
