Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Expert Pick – February 3, 2024

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS EXPERT PICK – FEBRUARY 3, 2024 –Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins.

One of the games on tap from Saturday night’s slate features the Los Angeles Lakers (26-25 SU, 23-28 ATS) taking on the New York Knicks (32-17 SU, 30-18-1 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

When: Saturday, February 3, 2024

Time: 8:30 PM ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

Location: New York City, NY

TV: ABC

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks — Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Lakers Slow Down The Surging Knicks?

 Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 116.1 PPG – 14^TH
• Offensive Efficiency: 113.9 points per 100 possessions – 20^TH
• Scoring Defense: 117.3 PPG – 19^TH  
• Defensive Efficiency: 115.1 points per 100 possessions – 14^TH

The best word to describe the Lakers’ season thus far is average. Even that may be a generous assessment.

Through their first 50 games, they are 25-25. And in their last 10 outings, they have posted a 5-5 record. On a more positive note, though, they recently snapped a two-game winning streak with a 114-105 win over the Boston Celtics – the team with the best record in the association.

What made this win even more impressive was that the Lakers took to the court without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Austin Reaves scored a team-high 32 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the floor. He also converted seven of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc.

D’Angelo Russell added 16 points, 14 assists, and eight rebounds. Jaxson Hayes – who is averaging just 3.4 points per contest this season – chipped in with a 16-point, 10-rebound effort.

On paper, this contest was a mismatch across the board, but thanks to an inspired effort, the road team emerged victorious in this one.

“We’re all talented players. And this was an opportunity to show the world what you can do,” Reaves said, via ESPN. “Before the game, we came together and was like, ‘Look, the least we can do is we can do is go out there and play as hard as we can and live with the results.”

For a second straight game, the Lakers will face one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. It will be interesting to see how they match up against a Knicks team that is playing some great basketball.

Can The Knicks Push Their Winning Streak To 10 Games?

 New York Knicks Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 115.2 PPG – 15^TH
• Offensive Efficiency: 119.0 points per 100 possessions – 7^TH    
• Scoring Defense: 109.2 PPG – 2^ND
• Defensive Efficiency: 112.7 points per 100 possessions – 7^TH

On the other side of this matchup, we have a Knicks team that has been making a lot of noise over the past several weeks. They have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and have posted nine wins across their last 10 outings.

Not only that, but they also reeled off nine straight victories. This includes a 109-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 40 points to go along with five rebounds.

Brunson scored 11 of those points in the fourth quarter and was showered with MVP chants from the Madison Square Garden crowd.

“It was really cool, the whole experience, the night, how we won, obviously what happened before the game,” Brunson said later. “You always work for certain moments, but you never know how to react once they happen, so it was special.”

Donte DiVincenzo added 20 points and three assists. Precious Achiuwa and Isaiah Hartenstein scored 12 points each and collected 35 rebounds between them.

The Knicks finished January with a 14-2 record. Based on how the two teams have been playing as of late. New York looks like the superior team. And if James and Davis have to sit out a second straight game, look for New York to capitalize on their absences.

Now that we have set the table for this matchup, let us look at the betting trends for both sides.

The Spread

The Knicks opened as a six-point favorite. The line has recently dipped to 4.5 points for the home team. Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Lakers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against New York.
• Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last six road contests against the Knicks.
• In their last seven matchups against Atlantic Division opponents, the Lakers are 1-6 against the spread.
• The Knicks are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games.
• New York has covered the spread in each of its last five home games

Based on the above trends, going with the home team to cover a small spread is the best option here.

Prediction: New York Knicks (-4.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 229.5 points. The line has recently moved to 225.5. Here is why going with the “under” is the smart choice.

• The total has gone UNDER 10 times in the Knicks’ last 11 games.
• The UNDER total has prevailed six times in New York’s last nine matchups against Los Angeles.
• In the Knicks’ last seven games against Western Conference opponents, the UNDER total prevailed six times.
• The total has gone UNDER nine times in New York’s last 13 Saturday games.

Prediction: UNDER 225.5 points

Player Prop Bet

The key player to watch is Jalen Brunson. He currently has -120 odds of scoring more than 32.5 points and -110 odds of finishing with less than 32.5 points.

Here is a glance to see how his numbers compare to the projected points total for this matchup.

• In 14 career games against the Pistons, Brunson is averaging 11.1 points per contest.
• On the season, Brunson is averaging 27.1 points per outing.
• In 22 home contests this season, he is averaging 26.8 PPG.
• Brunson has played against Western Conference opponents 16 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 24.5 points per outing.
• Brunson has played eight times on a Saturday this season. In those contests, he has averaged 29.4 points per game.
• During January – a sample size of 14 games — he averaged 28.9 PPG, exceeding the points total for this matchup three times during that stretch.

Going with the “under” for Brunson is the best option based on the above trends.

Prediction: Jalen Brunson UNDER 32.5 points