Disappointing defeat leaves Tom Thibodeau in disarray as coaching staff faces scrutiny
On Monday, the New York Knicks (33-20) will visit the Toyota Center, hosted by the Houston Rockets (23-29). The tip time is 8 p.m. ET. Let’s examine the lines provided by FanDuel Sportsbook for the Knicks vs. Rockets game and provide our professional NBA predictions and picks.
Season series: Knicks win 109-94 at home on January 17 to take a 1-0 lead and cover the spread as a 7-point favorite.
The Rockets, a 7-point road underdog, lost 122-113 against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and were unable to cover. Houston is just 1-5 straight up in its last 6 games and has failed to cover 4 of those. For the season, it is 27-24-1 against the spread (ATS). C Alperen Sengun, who averages 21.3 points per game, is the leader of the Rockets.
The Knicks have lost their way.
Houston struggled on its latest road trip, losing all 4 games. Prior to that, the Rockets won 2 of their last 3, all at home. They beat the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers. Houston is a strong 18-9 at home, so for this price tag with the Knicks struggling as of late, it is worth a play.
That said, the Knicks have lost 3 of their last 4, all at home. They have played on the road in just 2 of their last 14. New York has struggled and will be without 2 of its top 4 scoring options and its starting center.
Both teams have recent and season-long Under trends. The Rockets are 0-2 O/U in their last 2 and 3-5 O/U in their last 8. Houston is 24-28 O/U on the season and will be without its 3rd-leading scorer as well as potentially without Sengun, its top offensive option.
The Knicks are down 2 of their top-4 scoring options and have gone Under in 5 of their last 7 games. New York is 22-31 O/U on the season. The Rockets sit 15th in pace with the Knicks 27th.
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