NBA Betting: New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs
Based on preseason hype this matchup could have been characterized as a NBA Finals Preview. That’s certainly not the case now-the Spurs have held up their end of the bargain and are tied with Portland for the second best record in the Western Conference. The Knicks, meanwhile, have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league with a record of 9-21 and trail Eastern Conference leading Indiana by 15.5 games.
At first glance there’s at least some reason to consider a play on the road underdog. The Spurs have not been a particularly good home court investment this season with an overall record of 6-10 ATS despite a 12-4 SU mark. They’ve failed to cover 8 of their last 10 home contests. Of course any enthusiasm for a play against the Spurs at home quickly dissipates once you look at the Knicks pointspread records for the season. If their 10-20 ATS record overall doesn’t scare you away their pitiful 1-14 SU/3-12 ATS record as an underdog probably will. Not only have the Knicks been unable to win straight up against superior opposition they’ve been almost completely non competitive in these matchups. They’ve also been beaten like the proverbial ‘rented mule’ in non conference play-the Knicks are 0-9 SU/1-8 ATS against the Western Conference this season.
To be fair the Knicks have been playing slightly better basketball of late but the problem is that their early season form was so woeful that a 4-6 ATS run in their last 10 games can be considered ‘better basketball’. They’re expected to get Carmelo Anthony back for this game which might be a big deal to the mainstream sports media but is of little concern from a handicapping standpoint. The biggest tactical edge for the Spurs is in the backcourt where they have a ton of talent to go against the Knicks’ arguably NBA worst guard corps. Tough to lay big points with a team in a game that might not be a big priority (and the Spurs have a much bigger game against the Clippers on deck) but there’s little reason to think that the erratic Knicks will provide much trouble for their hosts.
BET SAN ANTONIO SPURS -11 OVER NEW YORK KNICKS