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NBA Betting – Suns vs. Knicks (Jan. 21)

Free pick and preview plus NBA betting odds and basketball lines for the matchup featuring the Phoenix Suns and the NY Knicks from New York, NY…

D’Antoni to face Shaq and the Suns

The Phoenix Suns (23-16 SU, 13-23 ATS, 22-15 O/U) were blown out the last time they took the floor, losing 104-87 to the Boston Celtics on Monday, easily failing to cover the spread for NBA wagering enthusiasts as 8.5-point road underdogs. The New York Knicks (16-24 SU, 21-19 ATS, 15-25 O/U) recorded a narrow 102-98 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday, covering the spread for my beloved BetUS NBA sports betting fanatics as 1.5-point home favorites in the BetUS Sportsbook.

Shaquille O’Neal led Phoenix with 16 points and 11 boards in its loss to Boston but Amare Stoudemire scored just three points on 0-for-7 shooting from the field while grabbing just one rebound in just over 30 minutes of playing time.

“They put on a clinic for us tonight,” Nash said.

Reserves Matt Barnes and Leandro Barbosa combined to shoot just 1-for-12 from the field for a grand total of five points as they succumbed to Boston’s overpowering defense.

“It was a good ol’ spanking. That’s what is was,” coach Terry Porter said. “They came out and turned on the intensity on us early and we didn’t respond. They got whatever they wanted. There was no resistance from us whatsoever.”

The Knicks outscored the Bulls in the fourth quarter to pull out a hard-fought 102-98 win on Monday as veteran shooting guard Quentin Richardson led the way with 24 points and six rebounds. Point guard Chris Duhon added 19 points and forward David Lee added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

“I’m hurting real bad,” said Duhon, who scored the game-winner on a drive to the basket last in the fourth. “But my main thing was us to go get a win, and that’s what we came out and did.”

Duhon has flourished at the point guard spot under D’Antoni, averaging 12.3 points and 8.0 assists after coming into the 2008-09 season with career averages of 6.9 points and 4.5 assists after spending his first four seasons with Chicago.

“He gutted it out, which I expected him to do,” D’Antoni told the Knicks’ official Web site. “It does cause some anxiety on our side, but he’s competitive all the way through.”

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Pick.

Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix’s last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Phoenix’s last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Phoenix’s last 14 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York’s last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New York’s last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York’s last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of New York’s last 14 games when playing Phoenix

NBA Odds

Phoenix Suns -5 -110
New York Knicks +5 -110

Over 220½ -110
Under 220½ -110

Analysis: I know the Suns are struggling in a big way right now while the Knicks seem to be finding their stride a bit, but I like the Suns to bounce back in a big way tonight from their resounding loss and play like the conference contenders they are.

I also think the Under may be the best bet for this contest with the Suns now committed to defense.

Simply put, I say take the Suns to win and cover, while keeping the combined score way Under the set O/U total.

NBA Free Picks: Under 220½ Total Points/ Suns -5 Points

By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"