Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the New York Knicks set their sights on extending their winning streak to four games when they tangle up with the NBA’s second-best team in the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. The Knicks are faced with arguably their toughest challenge as the Spurs have yet to be beaten at home (21-0) this season. Can Anthony carry his team towards a huge upset? Or will the Spurs continue to impose their will?
Read on below for a detailed breakdown of this promising showdown. And if you’re into college hoops as well, click here for our full preview of the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Syracuse Orange.
[sc:NBAArticles ]New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
When: Friday, January 8, 2016, 8:30 PM ET
Line: New York Knicks (+7.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs (-7.5); total: 194.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: MSG, FSSW
Betting on the New York Knicks (18-19)
[sc:NBA250 ]With a 98-90 win over the Miami Heat Wednesday night, the New York Knicks didn’t just end their eight-game skid against their Eastern Conference rivals, but also made sure to stay on the winning track and carry some more momentum heading into tonight’s clash with the San Antonio Spurs.
In that game, Carmelo Anthony continued his stellar play with a team-high 25 points on 9-for-12 shooting with five rebounds and four dimes under his belt. Trailing him was his teammate in Robin Lopez, who also went 9-for-12 from the field for 19 points along with four rebounds and two blocks.
The two have been one of the main reasons for the Knicks’ current three-game winning streak. During that stretch, Anthony is averaging 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while Lopez is contributing 14.6 points, 7.6 boards and 2.3 blocks.
However, the Knicks’ offense is bound to struggle later opposite the Spurs, who boast a league-best of 89.5 opponents’ scoring points per game this season. That said, the pressure is on the pair of Kristaps Porzingis and Arron Afflalo to make their presence felt as well.
Porzingis, the team’s third-leading scorer (13.2) and top rebounder (7.9), has finished in double figures over the past three games and also fared pretty well during his first career game versus San Antonio by putting up a double-double performance (13 points and 14 boards). Afflalo, meanwhile, cooled off with just nine points against Miami, but prior to that he’s scored a total of 61 points in the previous two contests.
New York has lost five of its last 10 meeting with San Antonio and is 5-4-1 ATS in that stretch.
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Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (31-6)
The San Antonio Spurs aren’t just winning games, but they’re also killing the opposition straight up. In their current six-game winning streak, the Spurs have won by an average margin of 20.3 points and are scoring 113.5 points per game. And yes, those numbers are for real.
Playing a big part of their success is star forward Kawhi Leonard, who’s been a major presence on both sides of the floor. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year boasts team-bests of 20.7 PPG and 2.0 SPG this season. Leonard’s also reached the 20-point mark in four of his previous seven games and is shooting the ball at a staggering rate of 57 percent.
Moreover, the Spurs’ unselfish style of basketball remains to be one of their strongest assets. Their bench scoring, in particular, has been astounding and the Utah Jazz, who allowed San Antonio’s reserves put up 70 points on them on Wednesday, would definitely agree to this.
Of course, defense is something that can’t be left uncovered when talking about the Spurs. Speaking of which, they’re bound to have their hands full in guarding Carmelo Anthony—a former scoring champion. But it’s worth noting that Leonard held the Knicks’ superstar to 19 points on 4-of-17 shooting during their first encounter this season. San Antonio won that game, 94-84.
Meanwhile, the Spurs might have to play without their point guard in Tony Parker, who’s dealing with a sore hip, for the third-straight game. If he does fail to suit up, expect Patty Mills to get the starting nod once again. Mills is averaging 8.2 points and 2.5 APG across 37 games.
San Antonio is 9-1 ATS in its past 10 games at the AT&T Center.
Writer’s Prediction
Spurs win, 108-91. Create a betting account now and put your NBA predictions to the test!
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