The first Clash of the Boroughs of the season kicks off on Friday night as the Nets visit Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks.
Both teams came out with a loss, as Brooklyn lost by 25 points to the Celtics, while the Knicks lost at home to the Bulls 124-123.
It's been quite an uneven start for the Knicks, who have underperformed somewhat to start this season with a 5-6 record.
There is some sense that the team is still learning how to play with each other since adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns via trade before the start of the season.
As a result, the Knicks are perhaps at their most vulnerable early in games, a weakness the Nets are poised to exploit.
Nets vs. Knicks odds
(7:30 p.m. ET, MSG)
| a team | Spread | Money line | the total |
|---|---|---|---|
| networks | +9.5 (-108) | +330 | More than 215.5 (-110) |
| Nix | -9.5 (-112) | -420 | Under 215.5 (-110) |
Nets vs. Knicks predictions
Brooklyn Nets betting preview
To say Brooklyn was better than advertised would be an understatement. After all, the Nets opened with the fewest expected wins in the league at 19.5 games.
With a 5-7 record, Brooklyn is already ahead of schedule to exceed that expectation.
Trading a 20-point scorer in Bridges to your crosstown rival will undoubtedly lead to some pessimism about the Nets next season.
The Nets' goal was to keep their young core players together while trading pieces that could bring back at least some draft picks.
It is worth noting that the Nets did not have a single pick in the 2024 draft after mortgaging their future to acquire James Harden in 2021.
Thus, without any star power to truly compete for the title, one can understand why expectations are low.
There were also questions about whether the Nets would get any contributions this season from the oft-injured Ben Simmons. Simmons has played in eight games this season, starting six.
Although he is not the same level of player we saw early in his career with the 76ers, he can still play a vital role in running the offense as a playmaker.
New York Knicks betting preview
Neither the Knicks or Timberwolves benefited from the blockbuster three-team trade that saw the teams trade Julius Randle and Towns.
Both teams are off to a slow start as the 6-6 Timberwolves are a long way off the pace of their 56-26 record last season, while the 5-6 Knicks have been unable to build on their 50-32 finish.
Minnesota's net rating fell by about 3.5 points (6.3 to 2.9), while the Knicks dropped from ninth in defensive efficiency to 20th.
In an effort to try and match the Celtics' perimeter shooting, the Knicks appear to have sacrificed defense for offense.
However, when you look at the data, their perimeter numbers dropped slightly from 13.3 to 13.2 field goals while attempting fewer shots (35.8 to 34.3).
The Knicks have been trending in the wrong direction on both ends of the court since the trade was made, which explains why their record lacks consistency.
As a result, it's difficult to have a great deal of confidence in this team until we start to see a clear strategy on how they plan to play moving forward.
Nets vs. Knicks pick
It will be interesting to see how the Nets continue to use Simmons, who is in the final year of his five-year, $177 million deal.
When Simmons received his max deal, he averaged about 16 points per game, but he hasn't averaged even seven points in any of his last three seasons.
Thus, since the Nets are not committed to Simmons beyond this year, they could limit his involvement if they try to shorten the season and race to the bottom.
Betting on the NBA?
As a result, I'm a bit wary about backing the Nets the entire game if they limit Simmons' minutes in the second half.
However, the first half is an interesting way to prop up the Nets, as they are 11-1 in this spot against the spread.
Look for the Nets to stay competitive in the first half of this rivalry game as 6.5-point underdogs.
Best Bet: Nets 1H +6.5 (-115, FanDuel)
Why trust the New York Post to bet
Michael Arinze breaks down most major sports for the New York Post. He has two 15-leg thrillers in his betting career as well as 12 legs that include eight Little League World Series games. Most recently, he carefully selected the finalists for the 2024 European Championship and Copa America.
