Teams eyeing improvement from a year ago meet when the Brooklyn Nets host the New York Knicks in an NBA Eastern Conference matchup on Friday. The Nets (0-1), who were beaten 4-1 by the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs last season, are looking for their second straight winning year for the first time since back-to-back winning seasons in 2012 and 2013, while the Knicks (0-1) are looking for their first winning year since 2013 when they went 54-28. New York has compiled a 17-66 record under second-year coach David Fizdale. Brooklyn is an eight-point favorite in the latest Nets vs. Knicks odds, off one from the opener, while the over-under for total points scored is 229. You'll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model predictions are saying about the game before locking in any Knicks vs. Nets picks.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and anyone who followed it last season saw massive returns. The model finished 300-252 on all its top-rated NBA picks. On top-rated against-the-spread and money line picks alone, the model returned a whopping $4,280.
Now the model has dialed in on Knicks vs. Nets. We can tell you it's leaning over, and it also says one side of the spread cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. That pick is available exclusively at SportsLine.
The model knows the Nets had success against the Eastern Conference last year, going 29-23 and finishing 23-18 at home. Brooklyn's 42 wins were the most since the Nets won 49 in 2013.
Besides Kyrie Irving's 50-point game, the Nets also had a strong night from guard Caris LeVert, who added 20 points, four assists, three steals and five rebounds in the season-opening loss to Minnesota. LeVert has been solid through the years against the Knicks, averaging 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in eight career games. In two games last season against New York, he averaged 16 points, five assists and four rebounds.
But just because Brooklyn looks to be much improved does not guarantee it will cover the Knicks vs. Nets spread on Friday.
That's because New York, which opened with a 120-111 loss at San Antonio, had three players, all new to the team, score over 20 points. Forward Marcus Morris had a game-high 26, while forward Julius Randle added 25 and 11 rebounds. Rookie guard RJ Barrett chipped in 21 points. Morris is averaging 12.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in 19 career games against Brooklyn, while Randle is averaging 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds in eight games against the Nets.
So who wins Nets vs. Knicks? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nets vs. Knicks spread to jump on Friday, all from the advanced model that is up more than $4,200 on its top-rated NBA picks last season, and find out.
