untitled-design-67.png
USATSI

The New York Knicks visit the Denver Nuggets in a cross-conference showdown on Tuesday. The Knicks (24-30) will play on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Utah Jazz on Monday. Nerlens Noel (knee) and Quentin Grimes (knee) are both questionable for New York, while Derrick Rose (ankle) remains out. Denver lists Austin Rivers (hip) as questionable to play, with Jamal Murray (knee) and Michael Porter Jr. (back) ruled out. The Nuggets are 29-24 overall and 14-10 in home games this season.

Caesars Sportsbook lists Denver as an 8.5-point home favorite for this 9 p.m. ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over-under, is 219.5 in the latest Nuggets vs. Knicks odds. Before making any Knicks vs. Nuggets picks, be sure to see 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 on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 17 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 65-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Nuggets, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Nuggets vs. Knicks:

  • Knicks vs. Nuggets spread: Nuggets -8.5
  • Knicks vs. Nuggets over-under: 219.5 points
  • Knicks vs. Nuggets money line: Nuggets -400, Knicks +310
  • NYK: The Knicks are 5-2 against the spread with no rest
  • DEN: The Nuggets are 10-14 against the spread in home games

Why the Knicks can cover

The Knicks possess one of the best defensive units in the league as they rank seventh in points allowed (105.4) and fifth in FG percentage allowed (44.1). That's bad news for a Nuggets team that is shorthanded and missing two of its best three scorers in Murray and Porter. New York is also strong on the glass, which is a weakness of Denver. Tom Thibodeau's team ranks seventh in rebounds per game (46.0) while Denver is often outmuscled on the boards, ranking just 26th (43.3) in the league.

New York is also the rare team that seems to perform better on the second night of a back-to-back. The team played at Utah on Monday, but the Knicks have a 5-2 record against the spread in the second game of back-to-backs. Meanwhile, lethargy kicks in for Denver when it has a day off as it did on Monday. The Nuggets sport a 20-24 ATS record after a day off, so extra rest doesn't particularly favor them.

Why the Nuggets can cover

Denver's offense is firmly in the top 10 of the NBA this season, including top-five marks in shooting efficiency and assists. The Nuggets are known for prowess on that side of the floor, but Denver also has a very encouraging projection on defense against the Knicks. Denver leads the NBA in defensive rebound rate, securing more than 75 percent of available rebounds. The Nuggets also lead the NBA in second-chance points allowed (10.9 per game), with top-10 marks in myriad categories. 

Denver is strongly above-average in 3-point defense, both in percentage and volume, and the Nuggets are allowing only 20.5 free- throw attempts and 11.5 fast-break points per game. Denver is also facing a Knicks offense that is just No. 24 in the NBA in efficiency, with glaring weaknesses. New York is last in points in the paint on offense, with the Knicks also landing in the bottom five of the NBA in field-goal percentage, 2-point percentage and assists per game this season.

How to make Nuggets vs. Knicks picks

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 214 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Nuggets vs. Knicks? And which side of the spread has all the value? 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.