NY Knicks at Brooklyn Nets Prediction 3/13/22

New York Knicks (28-39 SU, 31-36-0 ATS) vs. Brooklyn Nets (34-33 SU, 26-39-2 ATS)
When: Sunday March 13 2022, 02:00 PM (ET)
Where: Barclays Center, Brookyln, New York
TV: ABC

Point Spread: NYK +5.5/BRO -5.5 (Opened BRO -5.5 at Everygame)
Total: 224.5 (Opened at 224.5)
Money Line: New York Knicks 184/Brooklyn Nets -228
Power Rating: BRO -6

Probable Starting Lineups

New York Knicks PG Alec Burks, SG Evan Fournier, SF R.J. Barrett, PF Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Brooklyn Nets PG Goran Dragic, SG Seth Curry, SF Bruce Brown, PF Kevin Durant, C Andre Drummond

Key Injuries

New York Knicks Obi Toppin: Hamstring (OUT) Nerlens Noel: Foot (QUESTIONABLE) Derrick Rose: Ankle (OUT) Quentin Grimes: Knee (OUT) Cam Reddish: Shoulder (OUT) Kemba Walker: Conditioning (OUT)

Brooklyn Nets LaMarcus Aldridge: Hip (OUT) Kyrie Irving: Personal (OUT) Joe Harris: Ankle (OUT) Ben Simmons: Back (OUT)

The Brooklyn Nets host the New York Knicks in a Non-Conference matchup. Tip-off is set for 02:00 PM ET at the Barclays Center.

Recent Form

The New York Knicks come into this game with an overall record of 28-39, placing them 12nd in the Eastern Conference. Throughout the season, New York has struggled in their 35 road contests, sitting at 15-20. Over their last five games, the Knicks have played well, picking up 3 wins. During this stretch, New York is averaging 116.0 points per game, 10.0 points more than their season average of 105.9. This uptick in offensive play has come while playing a group of opponents who are collectively giving up 108.0 points per contest. The Knicks have been picking up wins while holding opponents to an average of 104.0 points per game, similar to their season average of 107.0. In the New York Knicks’ most recent game, the team fell to Memphis by a score of 118-114.

The Brooklyn Nets come into this game with an overall record of 34-33, placing them 8th in the Eastern Conference. Throughout the season, Brooklyn has struggled in their 31 home contests, sitting at 13-18. Over the Nets’ last five games, they have picked up just 2 wins. During this stretch, Brooklyn is averaging 119.0 points per game, 8.0 points more than their season average of 111.4. This uptick in offensive play has come while playing a group of opponents who are collectively giving up 108.0 points per contest. In this recent cold stretch, the Nets are allowing an average of 114.0 points per game, similar to their usual rate of 111.8.In the Brooklyn Nets’ most recent game, Brooklyn took down Philadelphia by a score of 129-100.

Individual Player Analysis

As New York travels to take on the Brooklyn Nets, the Knicks’ leading scorer is Julius Randle. Through 65 games, Randle is averaging 20 points. On the season, he has surpassed his season average in 49.0% of his games. Against the Nets, Randle will need to be on top of his game as Brooklyn is allowing their opponent’s top scorer to surpass their average in 35.0% of their games, placing them in the top 10. On the other side, Kevin Durant leads the Nets in scoring, averaging 29 points across his 39 games. Throughout the season, Durant has outscored his season average in 44.0% of his outings. However, if he hopes to add to this total, Durant will need to do so against a Knicks defense that has been tough on their opponent’s top scorers. So far, leading scores have surpassed their season average at a rate of just 42.59%. This figure is good for a rank of 6th in the league.

Matchup Analysis

The Nets come into this game as the more efficient offensive team, averaging 108.5 points per 100 possessions. When playing as the superior offensive unit, Brooklyn is winning at a rate of 67%. These wins are coming by an average margin of 10.0 points. On the other side, the Knicks hold the advantage on the defensive end of the floor. So far, they have played 22 games as the better defensive team, picking up 10 wins.

The Historicals

Heading into today’s matchup, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets have met up for two games. In their last meeting, Brooklyn picked up a 111-106 win.

How the Public is Betting the Knicks vs Nets

67% are betting the Nets against the spread.
52% are wagering on the game to go over the posted total of 224.5

Betting Trends Worth Noting

• Knicks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
• Knicks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
• Nets are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.
• Nets are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games as a favorite.

Joe’s Pick to Cover the Spread

The Brooklyn Nets come into this matchup, looking to build on the momentum of taking down the Philadelphia 76ers. The win over their Eastern Conference rival was their 2nd straight win, as they look to make a push up the standings and avoid the play-in tournament. With a spread sitting at 5.5 points in favor of the Nets, I like New York’s chances to cover. In this matchup, the Knicks have a clear advantage inside. Without Kyrie Irving, I expect New York to hang around in a tightly contested game.