Knicks at Bucks Preview and Betting Pick

Knicks at Bucks Preview and Betting Pick

ByAaron Aboodi

The New York Knicks (19-18) will be tipping off against the Milwaukee Bucks (22-14) on the Bucks home court on Thursday evening at 8 p.m. ET to resume each team’s 2nd half of the season. Below, I will be sharing with you my picks and predictions for when two top 5 Eastern Conference teams come across one another.

Odds, Spreads, and Lines

Last updated: 8:30 p.m. March 10th
Moneyline: Knicks (+475), Bucks (-650)
Against the spread: Knicks +11 (-110), Bucks -11 (-110)
Over/Under: O 222.5 (-110), U 222.5 (-110)

Injury Report:

Knicks:

  • Taj Gibson (Ankle) – Day to day, ruled questionable against Bucks
  • Austin Rivers (Personal) – ruled out against Bucks
  • Mitchell Robinson (Hand) – ruled out against Bucks
  • Derrick Rose (Health and safety protocols) – ruled out against Bucks

Bucks:

  • Jordan Nwora – Day to day, didn’t play in-game March 4th

Matchup Overview:

For the first time in an unfortunate amount of years, the New York Knicks are returning from the All-Star break with an above .500% record and sit at 5th place in the Eastern Conference. On Thursday night they look to continue their surge, and surprise those watching around the world.

The young and talented Knicks are returning from the All-Star break where Julius Randle was selected by Team Durant and scored each of his 2 shot attempts. Heading into the All-Star break the Knicks were hot! However, they haven’t faced a Bucks caliber type of team since January 31st where they took a loss to the Clippers 129-115 at the Garden.

Are the Knicks Legit or Going to Fade 2nd Half of the Season?

It’s hard to tell if the Knicks are a legit playoff team or if their luck will run out as their inexperience begins to haunt them. They entered the break winning 5 of their last 7, and 8 of their last 11 games. The only problem? None of those victories were against a team with an above .500% record.

Knicks Last 8 Wins:

  • 2/12 vs Wizards (14-20) 109-91 Win
  • 2/13 vs Rockets (11-23) 121-99 Win
  • 2/15 vs Hawks (16-20) 123-112 Win
  • 2/21 vs Timberwolves (7-29) 103-99 Win
  • 2/25 vs Kings (14-22) 140-121 Win
  • 2/27 vs Pacers (16-19) 110-107 Win
  • 2/28 vs Pistons (10-26) 109-90 Win
  • 3/4 vs Pistons 114-104 Win

Knicks 3 Losses in that spam:

  • 2/17 vs Magic (13-23) 107-89 Loss
  • 2/23 vs Warriors (19-18) 114-106 Loss
  • 3/2 vs Spurs (18-14) 119-93 Loss

All these matchups tell a story. The Knicks are more than capable of dominating the worst teams in the NBA. Also, with their loss to the Magic they are more than capable of getting smoked by one of the worst teams in the NBA.

2 of the 3 losses came against teams with winning records and a solid chance of making the playoffs. In my opinion, the Knicks aren’t legit and will burn the hopes of many Knicks fans to have success for the remainder of the season. Sorry, I know it’s hard to hear Knick fans.

The Bucks and Giannis are on Fire

The Bucks entered the All-Star break winning 6 of their last 7 contests after losing 5 consecutive games. They seem to have gotten back on pace and continue to make a surge for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. All that lies in their way is 2 games and the #2 seed Brooklyn Nets (24-13) and the Philadelphia 76ers (24-12).

The Bucks very own Giannis Antetokounmpo earned the Kobe Bryant MVP Award at this year’s 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta. He set an All-Star Game record going 16-16 from the field and 3-3 from beyond the arc to score 35 points in leading Team Lebron to their 4th straight All-Star Game victory.

Perhaps, the All-Star Game MVP won’t be the only reward he will be receiving this season as he sets his sights on a repeat of the NBA MVP for the 2021 season. Giannis is averaging 29 points per game (5th overall) and 11.7 rebounds per game (4th overall).

Game Preview

I anticipate the Bucks to overwhelm the Knicks in the paint. Giannis will outperform Julius Randle, as he should. Middleton will shine like he always does and Holiday and Connaughton will handle the dirty work.

We know the Bucks are legit. Are the Knicks?

Free Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -11

Good Luck!

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