Bucks vs. Knicks Prediction: NBA Picks Against the Spread | 11/8

Milwaukee Bucks (2-6 SU, 3-5 ATS) vs. New York Knicks (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS)

When: Friday, November 8th, 7:30 PM (ET)

Where: Madison Square Garden, NY, New York

TV: MSG

Point Spread: Mil +7.5/NY -7.5

Total: 225.5

Money Line: Milwaukee Bucks +255/-314

Notable Injuries

Bucks

• Khris Middleton (Out) Ankle

Knicks

• Cameron Payne (Questionable) Hamstring
• Mitchell Robinson (Out) Ankle
• Precious Achiuwa (Out) Hamstring

At 7:30 ET, the Milwaukee Bucks (2-6) will travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks (3-4). The Knicks are currently favored by 7.5 points and have a money line of -314.

This Eastern Conference matchup can be seen on MSG. The over/under line for this game is currently sitting at 225.5 points.

Recent Form

The Bucks improved to 2-6 on the season with a 123-100 win over the Jazz on Thursday. Playing at home, Milwaukee was favored by 10 points and covered the spread, while the game’s total of 223 points fell short of the 231.5 O/U line.

Milwaukee took control early with an 11-0 run, turning a 9-7 lead into 18-9. After a strong 3rd quarter, where they outscored Utah 31-16, the Bucks entered the 4th quarter up 88-77 and finished strong, outscoring the Jazz 35-23 in the final period.

The Knicks fell to 3-4 on the season after a 121-116 road loss to the Hawks on Wednesday. New York, who were favored by 7 points, not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 237, exceeding the pre-game line of 226.5 by 10.5 points.

New York trailed 26-22 after the 1st quarter, but a high-scoring 2nd quarter saw both teams put up 39 points. The Knicks edged the Hawks 28-24 in the 3rd quarter to tie the game at 89 heading into the 4th, but Atlanta outscored them 32-27 in the final period to seal the win.

The Historicals

Across the last five matchups between the teams, New York has gone 3-2 vs the spread. However, the Bucks actually have a positive scoring margin in these games at +6 points per game. Over the course of these games, they averaged 240 points per game, leading a 3-2 over-under record.

Analysis

Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo powered the Bucks to a win over the Jazz, with Lillard scoring 34 points and Giannis adding 31. Lillard had 14 points in the 1st quarter and another 11 in the 3rd. Bobby Portis chipped in 19 points, including 10 in the 4th quarter.

Milwaukee shot 51.2% from the field and hit 42.9% of their threes, making 15 from deep. Lillard connected on four threes, while Portis added 3, shooting 50% from beyond the arc.

Despite giving up 61 points in the 1st half, the Bucks tightened up defensively in the 3rd quarter, allowing just 16 points, which helped them secure a 123-100 win over the Jazz. Milwaukee held Utah to 42% shooting from the field.

The Bucks struggled to contain the Jazz from beyond the arc, where Utah hit 17 threes at a 41% clip. Milwaukee also sent the Jazz to the line 18 times, where they made 17 free throws. The Bucks finished with 13 steals and three blocks.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points and 16 rebounds in their 121-116 loss to the Hawks, hitting five threes at a 55.6% rate. Jalen Brunson added 21 points, making four threes, while Miles McBride also connected on four triples, shooting 66.7% from deep.

As a team, the Knicks hit 22 threes, shooting 46.8% from beyond the arc and 48.8% overall. Towns scored 12 points in the 4th quarter, while Josh Hart added 8 of his 14 points in the final period.

The Knicks struggled defensively in the 2nd quarter, giving up 39 points, which contributed to their 121-116 loss to the Hawks. They did manage to hold Atlanta to just 24 points in the 3rd quarter but allowed 32 in the 4th. Overall, the Hawks shot 45% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Knicks allowed 15 three-pointers on 39% shooting. They also sent the Hawks to the free-throw line 22 times, where Atlanta converted 16. The Knicks finished with five steals and five blocks.

Betting Trends

• Through their last ten road games, Milwaukee has an ATS record of just 3-7. However, their overall record was 1-9 while averaging 107 points per game.
• Across the Knicks’ last ten home games, the team averaged 107 points per game while allowing 112. Their record vs. the spread in these contests was 5-5 while going 4-6 straight-up.
• The last ten games that Milwaukee was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 3-7 straight up.
• Going back to their last three games as the favorite, the Knicks have a straight up record of 1-2. But their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Bucks finally got their 2nd win of the season last night, but even though it looks like they dominated the Jazz, this was actually a closer game than the final score shows. Milwaukee still has a lot of issues defensively and struggles as soon as they get into their bench. And given that they are playing on back-to-back nights, I like New York to win this won and cover the spread.