The New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards start a two-game mini-series on Saturday. New York, which won the first meeting 134-106 in mid-November, looks to stay unbeaten against its slumping opponent. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby will lead the Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Wizards won 113-110 on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets, but the victory was just their fifth in 28 games. Kyle Kuzma and Saddiq Bey remain out, while Jordan Poole (hip contusion) has been ruled questionable. Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon will lead the Wiz if Poole is unavailable.
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New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards Preview, Prediction, Starting Lineups and Betting Tips
The Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC, will host the Knicks-Wizards game. Basketball fans can stream the action by subscribing to the NBA League Pass.
Moneyline: Knicks (-700) vs. Wizards (+500)
Odds: Knicks (-13.0) vs. Wizards (+13.0)
Total (O/U): Knicks (o228.5 -110) vs. Wizards (u228.5 -110)
Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards preview
The New York Knicks have won six straight games since losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Cup semis. They are less than 24 hours removed from a 108-85 win against the Orlando Magic. The Knicks are playing on short rest, but they are rolling on both ends of the floor.
Jalen Brunson and Co. look poised to win if they can avoid complacency.
Who will lead the Washington Wizards on offense if Jordan Poole isn’t cleared to play will be the biggest question. In the win against the Hornets, hit the go-ahead 3-pointer and scored 25 points to lead his team to a rare win.
Washington must play well on the defensive end to have a chance of pulling off an upset. The Wizards allow opponents to score 121.8 ppg, the worst in the NBA. They are also ranked 28th in defensive rating. The Knicks could dominate them if they can’t answer the bell defensively.
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards predicted starting lineups
Knicks
PG: Jalen Brunson | SG: Josh Hart | SF: Mikal Bridges | PF: OG Anunoby | C: Karl-Anthony Towns
Wizards
PG: Carlton Carrington | SG: Kyshawn George | SF: Bilal Coulibaly | PF: Alex Sarr | C: Jonas Valanciunas
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards betting tips
Jalen Brunson is averaging 22.0 ppg in December, but he can take advantage of the Wizards’ inept defense. The lefty guard will likely top his 25.5 (O/U) points prop on Saturday.
Wizards rookie Alex Sarr is playing his best stretch of his young career. This month, he is averaging 13.4 ppg. The Knicks are playing on short rest, which might be enough for the Frenchman to hit the over in his 11.5 (O/U) points prop.
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards prediction
The Wizards are at home but struggling on offense and defense. The Knicks will likely extend their winning streak to seven and beat the significant -13.0 spread.
Edited by Veer Badani
