The Knicks will get another chance to be in the primetime spotlight at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, this time against the Magic.
These two teams meet at an interesting point in their respective seasons. Based on their expectations for the season, this could have been billed as a battle of contenders, but only one team actually lives up to that.
The Magic are under .500, and their schedule expands significantly over the next 15 games, so a win against a good team on the road would be a big boost to their confidence.
Knicks vs. Magic odds, prediction
The Knicks are starting to look like the team many expected to be one of the best in the Eastern Conference.
Now that they’ve implemented their new attacking principles, the scores are starting to pile up like an avalanche. In November, the Knicks have the best offensive rating in the league at about 6 points per 100 possessions.
It took a while to get the emphasis on ball movement, but it worked. The Knicks are among the top five teams in frequency of catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts, and they shoot over 40 percent on those shots, which leads the NBA.
They managed to get all five players on the floor while still putting their best players in position to put up the numbers we’re used to seeing.
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The Magic, on the other hand, have gone 1-4 out of the gate in five games. They have gone 4-2 since then, but two of those wins came against the Hornets and Wizards. They come into this game feeling better after Desmond Bane’s game-winner against the Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Unfortunately, the vibes won’t help them score, which has been a problem for the Magic for several seasons.
They made a huge trade to get Bane this offseason, mainly to help on offense, and they still rank 20th in the NBA on that end of the floor. The fact that their defense ranks 19th is even more concerning because that was their calling card.
This game comes on the second night of a back-to-back for the Knicks, but I think they have the edge offensively, especially early in the game. I bet the Knicks will cover the first half of the spread.
The Play: Knicks -2.5 first half (-105, FanDuel)
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Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He is a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and martial arts. He spends his winter weeknights looking for NBA player prop benefits with more money.
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