NBA Basketball Matchup: New York Knicks vs Los Angeles Lakers
The Knicks haven’t been to the top in a long time, but they do appear to be making some progress with their big acquisitions over the past year.
10:30 PM EST on TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NBA Betting Favorite: Lakers -4
Over/Under: 197
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were the champions just a couple years ago, but last year’s sweep out of the playoffs left a disappointing taste in Lakers fans mouths.
Can the Knicks pick up a big road win or will the Lakers get back to .500 in this late night TNT showcase game?
New York used a big fourth quarter to pull out their season opener at home against the Celtics. This will only be the Knicks second game of the year, so they should be fresher than the Lakers.
It will be the Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire show this year. Anthony’s 37 points and 8 boards carried the team in their win over the Celtics on Christmas Day. Chauncey Billups is no longer with the team, so Toney Douglas and Landry Fields will play a bigger role in the backcourt.
The Knicks must find a way to improve defensively if they are going to be one of the best in the Eastern Conference. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Los Angeles will be playing its fourth game in five days on Thursday night. The Lakers lost their first two before blowing out the Jazz on Tuesday night. Kobe Bryant isn’t 100%, but he has been very good in the team’s first three games. Pau Gasol is one of the best big men in the game, and he should continue to be a major asset for this team.
Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, will be counted on to provide more scoring this year since Lamar Odom is no longer with the team. The Lakers must find a couple other offensive options. Andrew Bynum should play a major role in the Lakers offense this year, but he is suspended until December 31.
I think the total here is set a little too low given the pace that the Knicks play at on a normal basis. Expect a close game that goes over the posted total.
Prediction: Lakers 103 Knicks 100
