The New York Knicks visit the Brooklyn Nets in a cross-city battle on Sunday afternoon. The game will be broadcast to a national audience from the Barclays Center. Brooklyn aims to stop a four-game home losing streak, and the Nets are 34-33 overall this season. The Knicks are 28-39 overall and 15-20 in road games. Kyrie Irving (ineligible), Ben Simmons (reconditioning), Joe Harris (ankle), LaMarcus Aldridge (hip), and David Duke (ankle) are out for the Nets. Obi Toppin (hamstring) is questionable for the Knicks, with Derrick Rose (ankle), Nerlens Noel (foot), Quentin Grimes (leg), and Cam Reddish (shoulder) ruled out.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET in Brooklyn. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Nets as six-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 225.5 in the latest Knicks vs. Nets odds. Before you make any Nets vs. Knicks picks, you need to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
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 three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 20 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 74-47 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Nets and revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model's NBA picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Nets vs. Knicks:
- Knicks vs. Nets spread: Nets -6
- Knicks vs. Nets over-under: 225.5 points
- Knicks vs. Nets money line: Nets -250, Knicks +205
- NYK: The Knicks are 5-8 against the spread in Atlantic Division games
- BKN: The Nets are 7-6-1 against the spread in Atlantic Division games
Why the Knicks can cover
The Knicks have notable offensive strengths, including top-six marks in the NBA in free throw creation, offensive rebound rate, and second-chance points per game. From there, Brooklyn is in the bottom third of the NBA in defensive efficiency, and New York has a path to offensive success. On the defensive end, the challenge is stiffer for the Knicks against a strong Nets offense, but New York has clear statistical strengths.
The Knicks are in the top five of the NBA in field goal percentage allowed at 44.4 percent, and opponents are shooting only 51.9 percent on two-point attempts against New York. The Knicks are also above-average in 3-point defense, holding opponents to 34.5 percent. New York is excellent on the defensive glass, securing 73.6 percent of missed shots from opponents, and the Knicks are in the top four of the NBA in second-chance points allowed (12.2 per game) and points allowed in the paint (43.2 per game).
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn's offense is superior to New York's offense. The Nets are scoring nearly 1.12 points per possession this season, soundly above the NBA average, and the Knicks rank No. 24 in the league in offensive efficiency. Brooklyn is in the top six of the NBA in field goal percentage (46.9 percent) and free throw percentage (79.9 percent), with New York ranking No. 27 in field goal percentage and No. 29 in two-point percentage. No team averages fewer assists per game than the Knicks, while the Nets are above-average in generating 24.9 assists per game.
Brooklyn is also above-average on the offensive glass, securing 27.4 percent of missed shots and the Nets are in the top 10 of the NBA in fast break points per game (13.0). From there, the Knicks are No. 25 in fast break points and dead-last in the NBA in points in the paint per game. Brooklyn is in the top 10 of the league in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage allowed on defense.
How to make Nets vs. Knicks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 217 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Knicks vs. Nets pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Knicks vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
