San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks: 3 Best Bets
After losing two straight games to the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs had a much-needed off day on Tuesday. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. the Spurs are back in action, traveling to the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks in Victor Wembanyama’s first game at Madison Square Garden.
This will be Wembanyama’s first real test in terms of physicality. Julius Randle is just as physical as OG Anunoby but has 15 pounds on the Raptor. Victor Wembanyama will have to be prepared to be pushed around more than usual.
The Knicks are an aspiring playoff team but share a 3-4 record with San Antonio. New York has gotten off to a disappointing start after finishing with the fifth seed in the playoffs.
New York has a clean injury report, and the Spurs will most likely be without Devin Vassell, who is still listed as doubtful. Keldon Johnson is listed as probable, battling a sore wrist, but this injury has been plaguing him since before the Indiana game, and he was the lone bright spot in that contest.
Doug McDermott scored a team-high 17 points in the loss to the Pacers.
© Ed Szczepanski, USA TODAY
With that out of the way, let’s look at the odds and picks, powered by SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Knicks -10.5 (-105)/Spurs +10.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Knicks (-500)/Spurs (+360)
Over/under: 222.5
Our Picks
Team pick: Spurs +10.5 (-118)
The Knicks have won their three games by 12.7 points, on average. Only one of their wins saw a point margin under ten points, but both teams are rested this time around. The Spurs and Knicks each had their last game on Monday. Granted, the Spurs have to travel and the Knicks don’t, but with rest and the motivation of losing two straight, the Spurs at the very least will keep it close. 10.5 is a massive line, and the Spurs ought to cover.
Wembanyama pick: Record a double-double (+145)
The Knicks are the second-best rebounding team in the league, and the Spurs are 28th in the league. However, both teams are top ten in field goals attempted, and the Knicks are dead last in field goal percentage. That means plenty of chances for the Spurs–namely Wemby–to crash the boards. Wembanyama has recorded ten points and ten boards in three games thus far, and with rest, motivation, and plenty of opportunities to snag some rebounds, this is a risky pick, but it has some value.
Defense pick: Julius Randle UNDER 2.5 threes made (-200)
This is not a value pick. The -200 odds should tell you a lot: Randle is not a sniper. This season, he is shooting 25 percent from behind the arc and only making 1.7 threes a game. He has hit the 2.5 mark in only three games this season, and even then it was by the skin of his teeth. Plus, Randle will be guarded by either Jeremy Sochan or Wembanyama tonight, meaning someone will always be in his face and he won’t get any open looks.
The +10.5 spread for the Spurs should usually be enough to deter bettors from looking at the money line, but +360 for the Spurs to win after a rest day is pretty hard to pass up. That being said, the Spurs are still in the experimental phase of the Wembanyama era, which means things could get ugly, and fast.
