The New York Knicks (4-17), who are currently on a seven-game skid, will try to get back in the win column when they welcome the Denver Nuggets (13-5) to Madison Square Garden. The game will air on Altitude 2 Sports at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 5, 2019.
Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks Betting Prediction
In the Nuggets’ last outing, they were 2.5-point favorites and fell to the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-96. The game’s total points (201) finished under the O/U total of 207.5. Los Angeles won the rebounding battle. The Lakers had 14 offensive rebounds and 56 total rebounds, while the Nuggets had seven and 35, respectively. Jamal Murray was Denver’s high scorer with 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting.
The Knicks were blown out by the Milwaukee Bucks in their last game, 132-88. They were unable to cover as 17-point underdogs. The game’s total points (220) were just under the projected point total of 222.5. Milwaukee’s 0.651 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over New York, who had a mark of 0.363. The Bucks’ mark was above their season average of 0.556, while the Knicks’ was below their season average of 0.491. With four points and 14 rebounds, Mitchell Robinson had a solid game for New York.
After the Nuggets won both meetings against the Knicks last season, these teams will battle for the first time this year. In the last contest, Denver won 111-93. Denver out-rebounded New York. The Nuggets had more offensive rebounds (17 vs. eight), defensive rebounds (45 vs. 37) and total rebounds (62 vs. 45).
Denver is 13-5 straight up (SU), but they are just 7-9-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas tends to set the total high when the Nuggets are involved, as 77.8 percent of their games have finished under the O/U total.
Meanwhile, New York is 4-17 SU and 9-11-1 ATS. Coinciding with Denver, Knicks games also tend to finish under the projected point total (66.7 percent).
New York might have a difficult time putting up points as they clash against one of the NBA’s best defenses. Denver ranks fourth in defensive efficiency while the Knicks rank 30th in offensive efficiency. Additionally, the Nuggets rank fifth in offensive rebounding percentage (23.6 percent), while the Knicks rank 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage (76.1 percent).
Denver Nuggets at New York Knicks Odds Pick
Pick: ATS Winner – Nuggets, O/U – Under
Bettings Trends:
On the road, Denver is 3-3-1 ATS with 5 unders and 2 overs.
At home, New York is 4-6-1 ATS with 9 unders and 2 overs.
In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Denver is 8-0 and New York is 1-1.
The Nuggets are 11-3 when they score above 100 points, while the Knicks are 4-10.
Denver ranks sixth in assists per game (25.9) while New York ranks 29th (19.6).
The Nuggets rank 11th in points in the paint per game (48.4) while the Knicks rank 29th (39.4).
Denver ranks third in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.2) while New York ranks 20th (17.8).
The Knicks rank fifth in second chance points per game (15.1) while the Nuggets rank 19th (12.6).
Denver ranks seventh in rebounds per game (46.9) while New York ranks 15th in rebounds allowed per game (45.7).
The Nuggets rank 21st in fast break points per game (12.1) while the Knicks rank 28th (10.7).
New York ranks fifth in steals allowed per game (6.8) while Denver ranks 11th (7.3).
The Knicks rank 24th in three pointers attempted per game (29.8) while the Nuggets rank 27th (29.5).
In its last five contests, Denver is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
New York is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over its last five games.
The Nuggets’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.4, down from 4.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Knicks have scored an average of 97.2 points per game (3.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 115.0 points per game (4.6 above their season average).
