The Los Angeles Clippers will play host to the New York Knicks in a matinee battle on Sunday afternoon. The Clippers will be on the second day of a back-to-back set that began with a surprising home loss against Memphis on Saturday, while the Knicks had the day off on Saturday for travel purposes. 

Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. ET at Staples Center. Sportsbooks list the Clippers as 8.5-point home favorites, up slightly from the opener, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 222.5 in the latest Knicks vs. Clippers odds. Before you make any Clippers vs. Knicks picks or NBA predictions, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated NBA spread and money line picks. It's already returned almost $1,800 in profit on all its top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and entered Week 10 on a blistering 23-11 run on all top-rated NBA spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Clippers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Clippers vs. Knicks:

  • Knicks vs. Clippers spread: Clippers -8.5
  • Knicks vs. Clippers over-under: 222.5 points
  • Knicks vs. Clippers money line: Clippers -410, Knicks +320
  • NYK: The Knicks are 7-4 against the spread in their last 11 games
  • LAC: The Clippers are 4-3 against the spread in their last 7 games

Why the Knicks can cover

The model understands that New York is inherently fighting an uphill battle on the road against a top-tier opponent. However, the Knicks can take solace in being a strong rebounding team on both ends of the floor. New York's defensive rebounding is particularly noteworthy as an offset to the offensive rebounding strength of the Clippers, and the Knicks will take all the help they can get. 

Individually, the Knicks are receiving high-end performances from Julius Randle (18.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game) and Marcus Morris (18.5 points, 45.2 percent from three) this season. In the recent past, though, New York has performed better as a team, posting a 6-5 record in the last 11 games. Improved ball security has been key for the Knicks during that stretch, and they will aim to avoid turnovers against an aggressive Clippers defense. 

Why the Clippers can cover

The model understands that, despite a loss in their last outing, the Clippers profile as one of the league's best teams and that effectiveness arrives on both ends of the floor. L.A. is one of only a few teams that can claim legitimately elite performance on offense and defense, ranking in the top six in both categories. The Clippers are also one of the best teams in the NBA at generating free throws, allowing the team a wider margin for error if their perimeter shots aren't falling on any given night. 

In addition, L.A. has a stark advantage when attempting to defend the Knicks. New York has certainly been better lately on the offensive end but, in short, the Clippers are on a very short list of teams that can defend with multiple personnel packages and styles. The Clippers will hound the basketball from start to finish and that can be a key advantage for Doc Rivers' team. 

How to make Knicks vs. Clippers picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in almost 70 percent of simulations.

So who wins Knicks vs. Clippers? And which side of the spread hits in almost 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Knicks vs. Clippers spread you need to jump on Sunday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.