Following a slow day and only one game in the NBA on Thursday, we will have 12 games on tap for Friday, March 18, including this Eastern Conference duel at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Check out the best Wizards vs. Knicks betting pick and odds.
These Eastern Conference foes have met once this season and Washington won that game 124-117 at MSG. The Knicks are 4.5-point favorites, while the total is set at 223.5 points, according to DraftKings NY Sportsbook.
Washington is going down
The Washington Wizards lost five consecutive games and their chances of getting the play-in spot are becoming slimmer. They returned from a four-game road trip with four defeats and then lost to the Denver Nuggets at home. During that five-game stretch, the Wizards failed to cover even once. Washington will play the first of a back-to-back set here, after which they will face the Lakers on Saturday.
Deni Avdija (19 PTS and 7 REB), Kristaps Porzingis (16 PTS, 7 REB, and 3 BLK), Corey Kispert (15 PTS), and Rui Hachimura (12 PTS, 7 REB, and 2 STL) were the Wizards worth of mentioning in a massive 127-109 home loss to the Nuggets.
New York justified the role of a favorite in a big win over Portland
The New York Knicks secured the easiest win of the campaign as they dismantled the Portland Trail Blazers 128-98 at home. After returning from a seven-game road trip, the Knicks opened their four-game homestand with this victory, and they must win the next three as well if they want to stay alive in the play-in race. Tom Thibodeau’s team is playing very well when it comes to covering the spread lately as the Knicks covered in each of the previous seven games.
RJ Barrett (31 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB, and 2 STL), Julius Randle (20 PTS, 9 REB, and 7 AST), Immanuel Quickley (18 PTS, 6 AST, and 5 REB), and Evan Fournier (14 PTS, 6 AST, and 2 STL) led the Knicks to this convincing win.
Trends:
Washington:
- 0-5 ATS in the last five games overall
- 3-7 ATS in the last ten games as a road underdog
- 8-20-2 ATS in the last 30 games following an ATS loss
New York:
- 7-0 ATS in the last seven games
- 6-0 ATS in the last six games following an ATS win
- 6-1 ATS in the last seven games following a straight-up win of more than ten points
Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks Pick
The Knicks are trying to catch the last train to the play-in and are in a similar situation as the Wizards, but the momentum is on their side. One, and probably both of these teams will miss out on the playoffs this season, but the Knicks have a chance for the final push, so they must get a win here.
Even if they win all the remaining games, the play-in spot is not guaranteed for the Knicks, but I am sure they will give their all to make it there. At the moment, they are showing greater desire than the Wizards, who seem to lose the mojo following a Porzingis-Dinwiddie trade and Montrezl Harrell’s departure. Also, Bradley Beal’s season-ending injury pretty much sealed their fate this season.
Pick: Take the New York Knicks -4.5 at -110
The Total
New York’s offense improved of late, while Washington’s defense has been extra lenient in the past couple of weeks, so the Knicks will get an opportunity to score a lot of easy buckets here. The Wizards allowed 122+ points in each of their last four games, while the Knicks hit a triple-digit mark for 21 consecutive games.
The total has gone Over in nine of New York’s last 12 games. The total went Over in five of the Knicks’ previous five games at home, while the total has gone Over in each of Washington’s last eight games.
Pick: Go Over 223.5 points at -110