New York Knicks vs Denver Nuggets: Betting odds and prediction

The New York Knicks enter into their matinée matchup against the Denver Nuggets Saturday afternoon after two, high-intensity losses to the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets.

Denver on the other hand just suffered a humbling loss to the Orlando Magic back on Wednesday, a pain the Knicks know all too well.

It’s safe to say both teams are looking for a bounce-back game to help right the ship.

The fact that Denver is coming off an embarrassing loss to one of the league’s bottom-dwellers should pose a serious threat for the Knicks who are also desperate for a win.

According to WynnBET, the Knicks open this game as a 2-point favorite at home, with the money line set at -130.

The Over/Under for the game currently sits at 205.5.

Both the line and Over/Under are subject to move before tip-off depending on whether or not a few players on the Knicks are able to suit up.

New York Knicks Betting Odds and Predictions

As of now, RJ Barrett is listed as probable to play after starting the game against Brooklyn on Tuesday, only to be pulled just 9 minutes into the game with a non-Covid related illness.

His presence was sorely missed against both Brooklyn and Chicago, so having him back in the lineup should help to shore up the defense, especially on the perimeter.

As far as Denver is concerned, they did just recently get back reigning-MVP Nikola Jokic from injury but are still missing a number of key players, most notably Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

Prediction: The Knicks have looked a lot more fluid on offense since Kemba Walker’s benching, but they’ve looked even better on the defensive side of the ball.

As big a fan as I am of Kemba if the Knicks keep playing as well as they have in the last 3 games, albeit during some losing efforts, perhaps they should entertain any of the teams supposedly interested in dealing for the Bronx native.

It’s a home game and as good as Denver is, they shouldn’t have any business beating a much healthier Knicks team who I believe are much more in need of a nice win as a pick-me-up.

That said, the Nuggets are a dangerous team and the Knicks need to make sure they’re on their A-game this afternoon.

If they get back one of Nerlens Noel or Jericho Sims alongside RJ Barrett, I’d say that the win is in the bag.

But if two or more of those names are forced to miss this game, the outcome is surely up in the air.

So far, the Knicks have a record of 10-12 against the spread (45.5%) while the Nuggets are the second-to-worst team ATS this season, covering just 38.1% (an 8-13 record) of their games, so at -2, I think it’s a safe bet to take on New York.

I might buy half a point just in case though (haha).

Regarding the Over/Under, 59.1% of New York’s games and 52.4% of Denver’s games have gone under, so between the Knicks getting back to their defensive roots in the past week and Denver missing a lot of their firepower, I’ll be taking the Under myself.

Parlay Knicks -1.5 and the Under, book it.

Final Score Prediction: 101-99 Knicks!