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The New York Knicks are having another losing season. The Knicks are tied for the 4th worst record in the league at 17-41 SU in the team standings right now. New York is 5-5 SU in their last 10 games played but the team has dropped three consecutive games after a four-game winning run. The Rockets are back in top form after a midseason slump. Houston has won seven out of their last nine games played and they are currently tied for 4th place in the Western Conference with their 36-20 SU record.
Back to Their Old Ways
The New York Knicks are back to their old ways. After posting a season-high four-game winning streak earlier this month, the Knicks have lost three straight games. In their last game played and their first assignment since the All-Star break, New York suffered a 98-106 home loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Bobby Portis led the Knicks with 19 points while rookie R.J. Barrett added 17 points. Their leading scorer Julius Randle was held to just 2-9 shooting and finished with seven points and seven rebounds. Frank Ntilikina started for the injured Elfrid Payton and the back-up guard contributed 14 points off the bench.
New York ranks third from the bottom in scoring at 104.6 points per game. They are 19th in the league in scoring defense at 111.6 points per game allowed. The Knicks are the 6th best rebounding team in the NBA at 46.3 boards grabbed per contest and they have the 3rd worst assists average overall at 21.6 dimes per outing.
After a midseason slump, the Houston Rockets have found their winning form again. Houston has won seven out of their last nine games played and they head to this home game with a three-game winning streak. In their last game played, Houston trounced the Utah Jazz 120-110 on Saturday night.
James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 72 points while Eric Gordon and Ben McLemore each scored 12 points off the Houston bench. Westbrook shot 14-25 from the floor despite being guarded by 2019 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert all night long. The Rockets made 20 out of 48 three-pointers against the Jazz after drilling a season-high 25 against the Golden State Warriors one game back.
Houston is the 2nd highest-scoring team in the league at 118.5 points per game on the year. They are 14th in rebounding at 45.5 boards grabbed per contest and are next to last in passing at 21.5 assists per game. The Rockets have the 21st best scoring defense in the league at 114.3 points per game allowed.
Who Wins?
New York is 7-13 SU in their last 20 games played. The Knicks are 3-2 SU in their last five games played on the road, and 0-8 SU in their last eight games played against the Western Conference. Houston is 7-2 SU in their last nine games played. The Rockets are 5-1 SU in their last six games played at home. Head to head, the Rockets are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games played against the Knicks. Houston is also 13-1 SU in their last 14 games played against New York.
The Knicks are having another losing season. They traded Marcus Morris at the trade deadline and are playing for the lottery. I’m not saying that the Knicks should tank right now but they are better off losing games than winning them. Julius Randle is having his best season and R.J. Barrett looks like he’s a keeper.
Houston traded Clint Capela at the deadline and have decided to go small in their quest for the NBA title. With P.J. Tucker as their chief big man, Houston is one of the shortest teams in the league. Height won’t be an issue here though, because they are playing the Knicks. Beard and Russ combined for 72 points in their last outing.
I think the Rockets have more to play for here than the Knicks. And I think Houston has too much firepower for the Knicks to match or handle. The Knicks are 9-19 SU on the road this season while the Rockets are 19-8 SU at the Toyota Center this season. I like the Rockets to pick up the home win here.
Prediction: Houston Rockets
Other Bets to Make
The Knicks are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games played. New York is 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games played on the road, and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games played on a Monday. The Rockets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games played. Houston is 3-2 ATS in their last five games played at home, 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Eastern Conference, and 6-2 ATS in their last eight February games. Head to head, The Rockets are 13-6 SU in their last 19 games against the Knicks.
Knicks
+14 (-110)
Rockets
-14 (-110)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 02/24/20
Houston simply has too much firepower for New York. The Knicks lost significant offense when they traded Marcus Morris and against a team which has two former MVPs in Harden and Westbrook who combined for 72 points in their last outing, I think that New York is overmatched here. Houston is going to blow the Knicks out of the building. We’re going to see a blowout win here for the Rockets who should be able to shoot the lights out from three-point range.
Prediction: Rockets -14
The total has gone under in 10 out of the last 15 games played by the Knicks. The under is 3-2 in the last five games played by New York on the road. The total has gone under in five out of the last six games played by the Rockets. Houston has seen the total go under in three out of their last five games played at home. The under is also 5-0 in the Rockets’ last five games against the Atlantic Division. Head to head, the total has gone over in six out of the last 10 games played between these two teams.
Over
229 (-110)
Under
229 (-110)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 02/24/20
New York plays terrible defense and that’s a recipe for a high-scoring game against the Rockets who are the second-highest scoring team in the league this season. The Knicks offense though is just as bad as their defense. They are next to last in the league in three-point shooting percentage. While the Rockets can score at will here, I don’t think the Knicks will help them get the score to over 229 points in this game. The Knicks have scored 106 or fewer points in seven out of their last 10 outings and they have failed to top 100 points in five out of their last 10 assignments.
Prediction: Under 229
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