One of the most profitable teams in the NBA so far this season, the New York Knicks will be at home at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night as they play host to Kobe Bryant and the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers have slumped out of the gate this year, and when they last met the Knicks last year they were beaten 92-85 as a 4.5-point road favorite on the NBA betting lines at the sportsbooks. Each of the last four Lakers/Knicks games have been UNDER results for totals bettors.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Knicks are 16-5 so far on the season, and 13-8 ATS vs. the number. The Lakers, meanwhile, are 9-13 and 9-13 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen New York go 11-8-2 and the Lakers go 12-10 on the totals.
View LA Lakers vs New York Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook line for this matchup at Sportsbook, the Knicks sat as 5.5-point favorites. The total had been pegged earlier by the oddsmakers at Sportsbook at 212.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Knicks sit at No. 7 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Lakers are at No. 4 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Knicks will win this game 107-102.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits New York's No. 5-ranked offense, averaging 102.6 PPG, against a Lakers defense that ranks No. 19 at 98.8 PPG. The Knicks field goal percentage has averaged 44.7% so far, less than the Lakers shooters have achieved on the year, 45.5% per game.
Defensively, the Lakers feature the league's No. 23-rated defense on the road, giving up 103 points per game. New York, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the league in scoring at home.
Los Angeles lost its last outing, a 100-94 result against the Cavaliers on December 11. The Lakers failed to cover in that game as a 6.5-point favorite, while the 194 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Kobe Bryant chucked in 42 points for Los Angeles on Tuesday, but they still came up short in losing 100-94 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Knicks were a 100-97 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Nets. They failed to cover the 3.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (197) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. Brooklyn was victimized by Carmelo Anthony for 45 points as the Knicks defeated the Nets 100-97 in NBA action on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Lakers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Washington are 6-4
After playing Cleveland are 8-2
After a loss are 6-4
New York Knicks Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Cleveland are 5-5
After playing Brooklyn are 9-1
After a win are 6-4
A few Lakers at Knicks trends to consider:
LA Lakers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 6 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
New York is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games at home
Next up:
LA Lakers at Washington, Friday, December 14
New York home to Cleveland, Saturday, December 15
