Nets vs. Knicks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Jan. 21

It’s been a nightmare month for the New York Knicks, as they were blown out by the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night and are on a four-game skid heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn hasn’t played well as of late either, losing eight of its last 10 games, but the Nets are tanking for a top pick while the Knicks are expected to be title contenders.

New York is favored in this matchup, and it still has been solid overall at home, going 14-8 against the spread despite losing on Saturday to Phoenix and Monday to Dallas.

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart returned from ankle injuries on Monday, and they are both expected to play on Wednesday against the Nets.

Brooklyn beat the Chicago Bulls on Friday, but it has lost two games in a row heading into this rivalry matchup.

Here’s a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for the battle of New York on Jan. 21.

Nets vs. Knicks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Nets +11.5 (-110)
Knicks -11.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Nets: +410
Knicks: -550

Total

221.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Nets vs. Knicks How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 21
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Madison Square Garden
How to Watch (TV): MSG, YES Network
Nets record: 12-29
Knicks record: 25-18

Nets vs. Knicks Injury Reports

Nets Injury Report

Day’Ron Sharpe – questionable
Ben Saraf – out
Chaney Johnson – out
Haywood Highsmith – out
EJ Liddell – out
Tyson Etienne – out

Knicks Injury Report

None to report

Nets vs. Knicks Best NBA Prop Bets

Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

Jalen Brunson OVER 25.5 Points (-122)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Brunson is one of my favorite prop targets:

Jalen Brunson made his return from an ankle injury on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 22 points on just 9-of-24 shooting from the field.

Despite that, I think he’s a bounce-back candidate at home against the Brooklyn Nets, who rank 26th in the NBA in defensive rating.

Brunson is averaging 28.1 points per game this season while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also taking 21.0 shots per game, giving him a super high floor when it comes to any scoring prop.

This prop is set well short of Brunson’s season average, and he’s scored 26 or more points in 26 of his 38 games this season.

With the Knicks struggling as of late, Brunson may have to handle a major workload on Wednesday for New York to win.

Nets vs. Knicks Prediction and Pick

I doubled up on this game in today’s Peter’s Points, as I’m backing the Nets to cover the spread with the Knicks struggling as of late:

The New York Knicks are just 2-9 in their last 11 games, and they were blown out as double-digit favorites (at home) against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

Now, the Knicks host the Brooklyn Nets, who are just 12-29 this season, but can we really trust New York to cover this number?

I’m not buying it, as the Knicks’ recent struggles have come from poor defensive play. They rank 26th in the NBA in defensive rating over their last 10 games, and they’re 28th in net rating over that stretch.

Brooklyn is one of the two teams worse than the Knicks in net rating over its last 10, but the Nets are only 4.3 points per 100 possessions worse than this Knicks team.

After a strong start at home, the Knicks have fallen to 14-8 against the spread at Madison Square Garden and have covered the spread in just three games since Dec. 18.

I have no confidence in the Knicks to win at margin right now, so I’ll take the Nets to keep this within 11 points on Wednesday.

Pick: Nets +11.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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