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USATSI

The New York Knicks (41-28) will return home for the first time since March 12 when they host the Brooklyn Nets (26-44) on Saturday afternoon. New York had its four-game winning streak snapped in a 113-100 loss at Denver on Thursday night. The Knicks are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, sitting a half-game behind Orlando for fourth place. Brooklyn is 4.5 games back of the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, entering this matchup on a five-game losing streak. 

Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are favored by 7.5 points in the latest Knicks vs. Nets odds, while the over/under is 205 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Nets vs. Knicks picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 22 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 74-48 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Brooklyn vs. New York. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

  • Knicks vs. Nets spread: Knicks -7.5
  • Knicks vs. Nets over/under: 205 points
  • Knicks vs. Nets money line: Knicks -316, Nets +251
  • Knicks vs. Nets picks: See picks here

Why the Knicks can cover

New York had won four consecutive games prior to its loss to Denver on Thursday, when the Nuggets used a big third quarter to pull away. Point guard Jalen Brunson had 26 points and nine assists, shooting 11 of 23 from the floor, while center Isaiah Hartenstein had 20 points and eight rebounds. The Knicks picked up some impressive victories during their winning streak, beating the 76ers, Kings and Warriors. 

Brunson leads New York with 27.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game, scoring 45 points against Portland nine days ago before pouring in 42 points against the Kings. Brooklyn has lost five games in a row and seven of its last eight, causing its postseason hopes to all but disappear. New York has won and covered the spread in four of the last five meetings between these teams. 

Why the Nets can cover

Despite Brooklyn's recent losing skid, it has not stopped fighting down the stretch of the season. The Nets erased a 20-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead at Milwaukee on Thursday before ultimately losing, but they covered the spread as 10.5-point underdogs. Small forward Mikal Bridges had 24 points and six rebounds, while center Nicolas Claxton added 22 points and nine rebounds. 

Second-year shooting guard Cameron Thomas leads Brooklyn with 21.5 points and 2.8 assists per game, sitting ahead of Bridges (20.5). New York is playing without small forward OG Anunoby (elbow) and Julius Randle (shoulder) in this matchup. The Knicks have only covered the spread six times in their last 20 games, and they are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight games as favorites. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Knicks vs. Nets picks

The model has simulated Nets vs. Knicks 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Knicks vs. Nets, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nets vs. Knicks spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 74-48 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.