NBA Handicapping Predictions – Knicks vs Bucks
A single game separates the Knicks and the Bucks for the last playoff spot in the East with New York trying to hang on to make the post-season.
Venue/ Stadium: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
Time/Date: 8 PM EST Wednesday, April 11, 2012
NCAA Odds From: Bovada
Moneyline: OFF
Spread (ATS): Bucks -4
Over/Under: 201.5
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks Preview
This game is obviously HUGE and Carmelo Anthony said it best stating, “It’s a must win. It’s probably one of the biggest games of the season for us. We’ve got to be ready.” NBA lines have the Bucks as 4-point favorites with a total of 201.5.
In their last games the Bucks lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 109-89 and the Knicks lost to the Chicago Bulls 98-86.
This season the Knicks are 29-28 ATS with an O/U record of 22-35 and the Bucks are 27-30 ATS with an O/U record of 35-21-1.
The Knicks beat the Bucks in their last game, but the Bucks won the first 2 this season.
Both teams are 6-4 in their last 10 games and each team has won with their defense, as the Bucks have held opponents to under 100 ppg in 7 of their last 8 games and the Knicks are giving up an average of 89.2 ppg in their last 15 games. The Knicks may need to rely on their D more since Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudamire are out with injuries. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Knicks have lost their last 4 games against the Bucks in Milwaukee and they have lost 10 of their last 13 games on the road.
Monta Ellis stated he will push the pace tonight and not let the Knicks set their defense and if he and Brandon Jennings can make this an up tempo game and score easy points off the fast break they should win this game.
With Lin and Stoudamire out Melo will need scoring help from Tyson Chandler and the guard trio of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Landry Fields.
Tyson Chandler is a major concern for the Bucks in this game and their frontcourt duo of Drew Gooden (6.5 rpg) and Ersan Ilyasova (8.8 ppg) must play good D on him inside and not let him have a big game on the boards. Gooden is banged up, but he will play tonight.
In some betting trends for this big Eastern Conference match up the Knicks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record, and they have an Under record of 9-4 in their last 13 games.
The Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games as a home favorite, and they have an Over record of 19-7 in their last 26 home games.
Jason’s Pick: The Knicks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in Milwaukee and that trend will continue tonight, as the Bucks will win this game, cover the spread, and pull into a tie with the Knicks for the last playoff spot in the East.
