The Los Angeles Lakers host the New York Knicks on Sunday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.
The Lakers, who are 38-25 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, are going up against a Knicks team that has been looking mighty impressive of late. New York has won 16 of its last 21 games and has been playing lots of impressive defense, and on the season, it is third in offensive rating. It defeated the Lakers 112-100 at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 1, and therefore, the Lakers will be looking for a bit of revenge while looking to improve their record.
The Knicks have a 41-23 record and are in third place in the Eastern Conference, and they’re hoping to catch the Boston Celtics, who are 1.5 games ahead of them and in the second spot.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
- Point spread: Knicks -3.5
- Money line: Knicks -155/ Lakers _125
- Over-under: 227.5
Lakers vs Knicks injury reports
Knicks: Landry Shamet (neck; cervical sprain) is questionable. Miles McBride (pelvic; core muscle) is out.
Lakers: LeBron James (left elbow contusion and left foot arthritis) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) are questionable.
Advice and Prediction:
The Lakers continue to be vulnerable against the NBA’s better teams, especially on the defensive end. When they went up against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, they gave up the first 11 points of the game, and while they made a couple of solid rallies, they simply fell too far behind to be in position to win.
They have had trouble beating teams with winning records all season, and New York will present an enormous challenge for them, just as it did on Feb. 1.
New York boasts Jalen Brunson, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year who is averaging 26.2 points and 6.5 assists a game. While big man Karl-Anthony Towns has been criticized at times, and while his fit on the team has been questioned, he’s second in the NBA in rebounding average. OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and former Lakers Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson are all potent complementary scorers who can light up the scoreboard.
The Knicks are eighth in 3-point attempts per game and fourth in 3-point shooting percentage, so Los Angeles’ defensive rotations to the perimeter will need to be quick and precise. They’re also a very capable fast-break team, so L.A. will need to limit its turnovers and get back quickly in transition while getting enough fast-break scores itself.
Unless the Lakers’ role players all play up to their standards in this game, we feel this will be another victory for New York.
Prediction: Knicks 115, Lakers 107
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Prediction and betting odds for Lakers vs. Knicks