A couple of rivals on both coasts collide tonight. On the East Coast, the Knicks and Nets clash in this year’s final Battle of the Boroughs. On the West Coast, the Dodgers head north to San Francisco for the first of a three-game series against the Giants.
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New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets (8:00 PM ET)
Line: New York Knicks (+6.5) at Brooklyn Nets (-6.5); total: 192.5 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the New York Knicks
[sc:NBA240banner ]Now out of playoff contention, the New York Knicks are looking to end a disappointing season on a winning note. The Knicks are coming off back-to-back wins over the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls, the no. 3 and no. 4 seeds in the East.
Reigning Sixth Man of the Year JR Smith is averaging 24 PPG this month while knocking down six threes per game at 47%. Carmelo Anthony (just 18.6 PPG on 41% shooting in April) may opt to sit out the final regular season games to rest his injured shoulder, which should give Smith more license to shoot.
Smith led the Knicks with 24 points and went 9-16 from the field in their 110-81 win over Brooklyn at Madison Square Garden earlier this month. New York has gone 5-1 SU in its last six road games vs. the Nets and is 7-3 SU in its last 10 road games overall.
Betting on the Brooklyn Nets
After having their massive 15-game home-winning streak snapped by the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, the Brooklyn Nets bounced back with an easy 97-88 home win over the Orlando Magic. The Nets are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 home games, but have failed to cover in their last two.
Rookie big man Mason Plumlee had 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Magic and is in the midst of his best stretch of the season. Plumlee has scored 16 or more points and shot over 75% in four of his last five games.
Prior to its past two games, the Nets had scored over 100 points in 10 straight home games, while they’ve held their opponents to under 100 in 15 of their last 16 in the Barclays Center.
Writer’s Prediction
With the very real possibility of Melo sitting this game out, look for the Nets to continue their home dominance with a win and cover over the Knicks.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants (10:15 PM ET)
Line: Los Angeles Dodgers (+1.5) at San Francisco Giants (-1.5) – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Los Angeles Dodgers
A fast start has seen the Dodgers (9-4) take a quick lead in the NL West. The defending division champs have spent the early part of the season away from LA, but their 7-1 road record suggests they’re right at home in opposition ballparks.
The Dodgers are coming off a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks in Arizona. LA scored 20 runs in those three games, half of which came from Adrian Gonzalez’s bat alone. The slugging first baseman has also homered in four straight games.
Josh Beckett makes his second start of the year following a brief four-inning, four earned run outing against the Tigers last week. The Dodgers are just 2-8 in Beckett’s last 10 starts. Conversely, the over has gone 8-2 in those starts.
Betting on the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants (8-4) will play their third straight series at home after three-game sets against the Diamondbacks and Rockies. The Giants went just 3-3, but the totals exceeded eight runs in five of those games, causing the over to go 5-1.
The Giants took two out of three against the Dodgers in LA earlier this month with help from their resurgent offense, which currently ranks fifth in the MLB with 66 runs, 17 of which they’ve scored against Dodger pitching.
Starter Tim Lincecum will look to improve upon his previous two starts this season. The two-time Cy Young winner has already surrendered 11 ER in just 10 IP. The Giants are 6-1 in Lincecum’s last 7 starts vs. the Dodgers.
Writer’s Prediction
With both starting pitchers struggling and both line-ups raking, this one has the makings of a high-scoring game. Feel confident in taking the over on the 7.5 run line. Who are you going to bet on?
