The San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Victor Wembanyama, who will make his NBA Christmas Day debut, expressed excitement about facing the hosts in one of the league’s marquee matchups. The Spurs are healthy and playing well, so they have a big chance to pull off an upset in Wembanyama’s second appearance at MSG.
The Knicks, Christmas Day fixtures, look to extend their four-game winning streak with a win against the exciting Texas-based team. Karl-Anthony Towns, who faced Wemby multiple times last season, gets re-acquainted with the 7-foot-3 Frenchman. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby hope to add misery to the Spurs, which lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 111-106 on Monday.
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San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks Preview, Prediction, Starting Lineups and Betting Tips
The Madison Square Garden will host the Spurs-Knicks showdown. Basketball fans can catch the action by subscribing to the NBA League Pass.
Moneyline: Spurs (+320) vs. Knicks (-400)
Odds: Spurs (+9.0) vs. Knicks (-9.0)
Total (O/U): Spurs (o223.5 -110) vs. Knicks (u223.5 -110)
Editor’s Note: The odds will change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks preview
The last time Victor Wembanyama played at Madison Square Garden, the San Antonio Spurs lost 126-105. New York gave him a rough welcome, holding him down to 14 points on 4-for-14 shooting, including 0-for-4 from deep.
To beat the Knicks on their home court, Wemby must play better. He already showed that he can have a big game against the Tom Thibodeau-coached group. The Frenchman led the Spurs to a 130-126 win in the rematch last season. Wembanyama had 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists.
The MSG crowd gets a thriller if Wembanyama can replicate that performance.
The New York Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA this month. Jalen Brunson and his teammates have lost just twice in December. In front of a sell-out crowd, they wouldn’t want to let their visitors pull off an upset.
Tom Thibodeau’s attacks will start with Brunson, who has a dynamic scoring partnership with Karl-Anthony Towns. They will be tough to beat if they consistently get open shots behind the Brunson-Towns hub on offense.
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks predicted starting lineups
Spurs
PG: Chris Paul | SG: Devin Vassell | SF: Harrison Barnes | PF: Jeremy Sochan | C: Victor Wembanyama
Knicks
PG: Jalen Brunson | SG: Josh Hart | SF: Mikal Bridges | PF: OG Anunoby | C: Karl-Anthony Towns
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks betting tips
Victor Wembanyama has been on a roll in his last five games, averaging 29.2 points per game on 46.9% shooting, including 40.8% from deep. The Knicks have had struggles on defense this month, plummeting to No. 25 in defensive rating. “Wemby” likely tops his 24.5 (O/U) points prop.
Jalen Brunson averages 24.6 ppg, a significant drop from his 28.7 ppg last season. With more options on offense, the point guard is spreading scoring opportunities around. Beating the Spurs might require him to be more of a facilitator as the Knicks have multiple ways to attack their visitors.
Brunson might not get over his 24.5 (O/U) points prop on Wednesday.
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks prediction
The San Antonio Spurs have been playing well but the New York Knicks, who will play in front of their rabid fans, have been better. Brunson and Co. likely defend their home court but allow Victor Wembanyama and his teammates to cover the +9.0 spread.
Edited by Veer Badani
