There are a small number of NBA regular season games with actual buzz and Knicks vs. Thunder falls into that category.
The bright lights of Madison Square Garden tend to bring the best out of opponents, and the Knicks have, for the most part, answered the bell in those spots.
Oddsmakers have the reigning champions listed as 4.5-point road favorites, which is to be expected if you look at their season on the surface.
Dig a bit deeper, though, and there are reasons to question that line.
Knicks vs. Thunder prediction, best bets
There’s no question that the Knicks and Thunder could be an NBA Finals preview, but the big questions surrounding both teams make that outcome unclear right now.
The Knicks have come out flat against the Pistons and Cavaliers recently, but looked great against the Nuggets, Spurs, and Rockets.
It has led nearly everyone who watches the team to question which version is real and which one is smoke and mirrors.
The Thunder have been forced to shuffle players in and out of their rotation due to injuries.
It has led to some surprisingly good results against lesser competition thanks to their seemingly infinite depth, but it isn’t a long-term solution against stiffer competition.
The more immediate question for both teams is who will see the floor Wednesday night. Both the Knicks and Thunder played the front end of a back-to-back Tuesday night, both games were on the road.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out Tuesday in Chicago and is not on the injury report, but Jalen Williams is still out. Mitchell Robinson played in Toronto and suffered a minor ankle injury after landing awkwardly.
We might not get both teams at full strength but this should still be a thriller at the end of the day.
The fact that both teams played Tuesday night might be more impactful for the Thunder. They’ve been particularly bad in this spot dating back to December.
After their NBA Cup run, the Thunder have had seven back-to-backs and are 1-6 in the second game, including four road losses.
The Knicks have been better in this spot with a 4-3 record on the second night of back-to-backs over that same span. In fact, they’ve won four in a row with no rest, toppling the Raptors, Nuggets, 76ers and Bulls.
It also helps that this game is at MSG, where the Knicks hold a 23-8 record.
This feels like a good spot to fade the Thunder. I’ll take the Knicks on the moneyline in the first game of a potential championship matchup.
The pick: Knicks moneyline (+152, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
