NBA Picks: Knicks vs. Lakers 3/12/23

New York Knicks (39-30 SU, 38-30-1 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (33-34 SU, 33-31-3 ATS)

When: Sunday, March 12th, 9:00 PM (ET)

Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: NY +2/LAL -2 (Bet smart! Lay -105 instead of -110 at BAS! It’ll save you tons of $!)

Total: 228

Money Line: New York Knicks +107/-129

Notable Injuries

Knicks

• Jalen Brunson (Questionable) Foot

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Probable) Foot
• LeBron James (Out) Foot
• Mo Bamba (Out) Ankle

Recent Form

Heading into the game, New York is 39-30 overall. When taking to the road, New York has a mark of 20-14 and a win percentage of 59%. Currently, the team is 6th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 38-30-1 vs. the spread. New York travels to take on the Lakers, hoping to avoid their 4th straight loss.

In their most recent game, New York could not come away with a victory against the Clippers, losing by a score of 106-95. Despite Immanuel Quickley leading the team with 26 points, the Knicks were unable to overcome their status as 5-point underdogs. The Knicks also ended up with an ATS loss in the game.

Heading into the game, Los Angeles is 33-34 overall. When playing at home, Los Angeles has a mark of 18-15 and a win percentage of 55%. Currently, the team is 9th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 33-31-3 vs. the spread. Los Angeles will look to stay hot in today’s game vs. New York as they are the winners of 3 straight games.

In their upcoming game, Los Angeles will be looking to capitalize on their recent win over the Raptors. D’Angelo Russell led the way for the Lakers with 28 points. Despite being 2 point underdogs on the spread, the Lakers were able to secure an ATS win.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Lakers picked up the win 129-123 win over the Knicks. Heading into the game, Los Angeles was the 2.0-point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. Spanning across the last five head-to-head matchups, the Knicks and Lakers have been competitive, with an average margin of victory sitting at just 1 point per game. This has resulted in a 3-2 ATS record for New York. New York and Los Angeles averaged a combined 219 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 3-2.

Analysis

This season, the Knicks’ offense averages 115.0 points per game, which is 14th in the NBA. In terms of pace, New York has been playing at one of the slower tempo’s in the league, averaging just 97.6 possessions per game. The Knicks have been able to put together a strong offensive attack despite sitting just 22nd in a 3-point shooting percentage. Overall, they are among the league leaders in attempts at 35.5 attempts per game. Defensively, the Knicks have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 106.6 points per game. So far, they have done an excellent job defending the 3-point arc, allowing teams to hit just 34.2%.

Heading into this matchup, New York is in jeopardy of not having Jalen Brunson in the lineup as he is questionable. This season, he is the team’s second-leading scorer at 23.8 points per game. So far, Julius Randle leads the team in scoring and is averaging 25.1 points per contest.

This season, Los Angeles is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 116.7 points per game. So far, the Lakers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 102.4 possessions per game. Los Angeles has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 26th in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.0%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 31.1 attempts per contest. The defense has been a rough spot for Los Angeles, as they currently allow 115.15 points per game. In terms of their 3-point defense, opposing teams have hit 35.38% of their looks from deep, placing the Lakers 18th in the NBA.

A significant injury to take into account for today’s game is that LeBron James will be missing from Los Angeles’s lineup, as reported on the injury report. Anthony Davis will need to assume the team’s primary scorer role. This season, Davis has been averaging 26.1 points per game for the Lakers.

Betting Trends

• The Knicks are 21-7-2 ATS in their last 30 games playing on 0 days of rest.
• The Knicks are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
• The Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.
• The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Wrong team favored! The Knicks win this contest straight up by 3+ or more! Bet your NBA predictions for FREE this week by scoring a massive 100% real cash bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $500 when you enter bonus code PREDICTEM on the Special Offers page after making your deposit and before placing your first wager at Everygame Sportsbook! The oldest bookie on the web! (Formerly Intertops)