The Denver Nuggets (24-23) take on the New York Knicks (21-27) at Pepsi Center. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 25, 2018, and will air on Altitude Sports & Entertainmnt.
New York Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets ATS Prediction
In the Knicks’ last contest, they were topped by the Golden State Warriors, 123-112. Golden State’s effective field goal percentage was their largest advantage over New York. The Warriors had a rate of 0.633 (above their season average of 0.577), while the Knicks posted a mark of 0.572. Michael Beasley led New York in scoring with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
The Nuggets barely escaped the Portland Trail Blazers in their last contest, 104-101. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Denver’s largest strengths. They had 33 free throw attempts, while Portland had 26. Jamal Murray was the game’s high scorer with 38 points on 14-for-19 shooting.
Denver should have an advantage on the offensive glass in this contest. The Nuggets are among the NBA’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking second in offensive rebounding percentage at 26.9 percent. Meanwhile, New York ranks 19th in the league at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 76.7 percent.
New York comes into the game with records of 21-27 straight up (SU) and 25-23 against the spread (ATS). Of the Knicks’ 48 games, 21 have finished under, 26 have finished over and one has pushed.
Meanwhile, Denver owns records of 24-23 SU and 20-24-3 ATS. Vegas tends to set the total high when the Nuggets are involved, as 61.7 percent of their games have ended under the O/U total.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Beasley (13.6 points and 1.2 blocks) has been stellar for the Knicks while Nikola Jokic (19.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists) has made solid contributions to the Nuggets.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Kristaps Porzingis scored a game-high 38 points and the Knicks defeated the Nuggets 116-110, covering as 5-point underdogs. He also had seven rebounds. The game finished with a total of 226 points, which was 15 points above the projected point total of 211 points. The Knicks’ 32.4 offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest strength over the Nuggets, who had a mark of 25.5.
New York Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets Odds Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Knicks, ATS Winner – Knicks, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, New York is 10-14 ATS with 14 overs, 9 unders and 1 push.
At home, Denver is 12-10-1 ATS with 15 unders and 8 overs.
Denver is 12-2 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while New York is 9-1.
The Knicks are 20-15 when they score above 100 points, while the Nuggets are 19-14.
Denver ranks ninth in three pointers attempted per game (30.2) while New York ranks last (21.6).
The Nuggets average 14.7 second chance points per game, which ranks first in the league. The Knicks rank 22nd in second chance points allowed per game (13.4).
Denver ranks eighth in fast break points per game (13.6) while New York ranks 29th (7.1).
The Knicks rank fourth in points allowed in the paint per game (41.7) while the Nuggets rank 21st (45.7).
New York ranks fourth in blocks per game (5.3) while Denver ranks 18th (4.7).
The Nuggets rank 13th in steals per game (7.9) while the Knicks rank 25th (6.8).
New York ranks 11th in assists per game (23.0) while Denver ranks 23rd in assists allowed per game (23.9).
The Nuggets rank 14th in points off turnovers per game (17.3) while the Knicks rank 24th in points off turnovers allowed per game (18.1).
Denver ranks fifth in rebounds per game (45.3) while New York ranks 12th (44.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, New York is 3-2 ATS with 5 overs.
Denver is 0-4-1 ATS with 5 unders over their last five games.
The Knicks’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 4.0, up from 1.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Nuggets have scored an average of 98.6 points per game (7.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 106.4 points per game (0.8 above their season average).
