No thanks to their recent skids, the Washington Wizards and the New York Knicks have been booted outside of the top eight in the Eastern Conference. It’s not too late for them to string some wins and get back in the playoff race, though. Which struggling team gets a much-needed win tonight in the Big Apple?
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Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks Preview
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
When: Tuesday, February 9, 2016, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Washington Wizards at New York Knicks – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: NBATV
Betting on the Washington Wizards (22-27)
Washington is getting hampered by its punching bag defense that lets opponent to score 105.4 points per game on the season. That number has been even worse over Washington’s last five games, wherein it allowed 114.4 points on 48.4 percent shooting. Charlotte, for one, shot close to 47% from the floor while knocking down 12 threes.
Still, limiting New York’s struggling offense doesn’t appear to be a daunting task even for Washington, as the Knicks are averaging just 93.5 points over their last five outings. The Wizards, however, need to play better defense on Carmelo Anthony, who dropped 37 points on them in a 117-110 loss back in October 31.
As for their offense, the Wizards are going to be just fine with John Wall and Bradley Beal exploiting the Knicks’ defense that had zero answers to them in the earlier meeting. Wall scored 25 points in that game, while Beal went off for 26 points. Also expect the Wizards to run, as they’re second in the league in fast break points with 19.1 points in transition per game. That approach was effective in the October game with the Knicks, as Washington outscored New York on the open court, 28-10.
Washington is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four games at Madison Square Garden.
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Betting on the New York Knicks (23-31)
The free fall continues for the troublesome Knicks, as they suffered their fifth-straight loss on Sunday at the hands of Denver, 101-96. That game proved to be head coach Derek Fisher’s last, as he was fired on Monday after just a season and a half in charge.
If it’s any consolation, at least the Knicks saw Kristaps Porzingis finish with a solid outing, as the prized rookie scored 21 points on 10-for-23 from the floor and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Porzingis had a recent stretch of underwhelming performances, where he averaged just 8.8 points in the previous six games. He’s in line to play a pivotal role later tonight than in the first meeting with the Wizards in which he mustered just eight points. Furthermore, his length and range should be a problematic for the Wizards, who also have to deal with Anthony.
Anthony, who scored 21 points to go along with seven assists in the loss to the Nuggets, leads the Knicks with 21.1 PPG on the season.
Anthony, Porzingis, and Robin Lopez are also expected to lead the Knicks in dominating the glass, considering that Washington is last in the league in rebounding with 40.0 per game. The Knicks, on the other hand, grab 43.9 rebounds per contest.
Writer’s Prediction
New York wins, 106-101.
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