The Knicks get another chance to bask in the primetime spotlight at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, this time against the Magic.
These two teams are meeting at an interesting point in their respective seasons. Based on their preseason expectations, this could have been billed as a battle between contenders, but only one team actually fits that bill.
The Magic are under .500, and their schedule kicks up significantly over the next 15 games, so a win against a good team on the road would be a big confidence boost for them.
Knicks vs. Magic odds, prediction
The Knicks are starting to look like the team many expected to be one of the best in the Eastern Conference.
As they’ve settled into their new offensive principles, the scoring has begun to pile up like an avalanche. In November, the Knicks have the best offensive rating in the league by roughly 6 points per 100 possessions.
The emphasis on ball movement took a while to come around, but it has been working. The Knicks are among the top five teams in frequency of catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts, and they are shooting above 40 percent on those shots, which leads the NBA.
They’ve been able to incorporate all five players on the floor while still putting their best players in position to put up the numbers we were accustomed to seeing.
Betting on the NBA?
The Magic, on the other hand, have sputtered out of the gate with a 1-4 through five games. They’ve gone 4-2 since, but two of those wins were against the Hornets and Wizards. They are coming into this game with better vibes after Desmond Bane’s game-winner against the Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Unfortunately, vibes won’t help them score, which has been an issue for the Magic for several seasons.
They swung a huge trade to get Bane in the offseason, specifically to help on offense, and they still rank 20th in the NBA on that end of the floor. The fact that their defense ranks 19th overall is even more concerning because that was their calling card.
This game is on the second night of a back-to-back for the Knicks, but I think they have the edge offensively, especially early in the game. I’ll bet the Knicks to cover the first half spread.
The Play: Knicks -2.5 first half (-105, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
