Kings vs Knicks NBA Handicapping
We’ve torn another sheet off the calendar, and as the forced march also known as the NBA regular season heads into the final two full months, the New York Knicks are managing to hang with the Miami Heat at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Sacramento Kings (17-31) at New York Knicks (29-15)
Saturday, Feb. 2
Madison Square Garden, New York
7:30 p.m. EST
Spread – Knicks -11 at SportsBettingOnline.ag
O/U – 202
Check Out Ray’s NBA Plays Today!
New York in enjoying a three-game winning streak as it heads into tonight’s game at home against the road-weary Sacramento Kings/Seattle SuperSonics. The pre-All Star break schedule includes games against Detroit, Washington.
Minnesota and Toronto, so the Knicks feel that their chances of overtaking Miami in the East ought to be a legit topic of conversation when the league’s best gather in Houston in a few weeks.
If everyone holds serve and the Knicks and Heat battle each other in a high-profile Eastern Conference finals, attention would be focused on the LeBron James/Carmelo Anthony battle. But the Knicks would have a huge edge in the paint, where Tyson Chandler has emerged as an All-Star and Legit Dominant Big in the Paint.
CLICK GRAB OUR BEST Expert NBA Picks for 2013 HOOPS GAMBLING season!
Chandler has had a few rough games over the last few weeks, but against Orlando he showed what he is capable of doing to a rebounding-challenged team like the Heat – 21 points, five assists and seven rebounds in just 32 minutes.
Last night he was a beast, grabbing 20 rebounds against the Bucks. Miami, which treats rebounding as an uncomfortable necessity when the Heat fail to come up with a steal, would certainly have some issues with Chandler on both ends of the court in a seven-game series. [ad-6571516]
TC should have few problems tonight with a Kings team that is playing its fifth game in a six-game road trip and played (and lost) last night in Philadelphia.
Sacramento has been having all sorts of offensive problems, and has been held to 16 points or fewer in three of its last eight periods of (against Boston and the Sixers).
Against the Celtics the starters were brutal (combined minus-68 when they were on the court), and in the Sixers game the bench was horrid (minus-60).
Pick your poison.
Free NBA PICK
The big line here is a concern and the Knicks have not been a consistent cover team at the Garden.
And Knicks PG Ray Felton is now dealing with another injury – he hurt a finger in the win over Milwaukee on Friday night and is questionable for tonight.
Felton has already missed 12 games this season due to an injured finger, and the Knicks figure to be cautious with him against a team that they figure to be able to flush down the toilet without too much effort.
Motivation will be a problem against a weaker team, so we like Sacramento to cover the big number here.
