The New York Knicks have turned in some strong results ever since trading for O.G. Anunoby. They will face the Washington Wizards on Saturday, January 6th, 2024 (7:10 PM ET) as part of a four-game NBA schedule for the evening. The Wizards, who are just 3-11 from home this season, are underdogs in the game at +8.0 (bet365). My Knicks vs Wizards prediction is that this game will have fewer than 238.5 total points.
NBA Game Preview at a Glance
Away: New York Knicks
Home: Washington Wizards
Game time: Saturday, January 6th, 2024 @ 7:10 PM ET
Knicks vs Wizards odds (home team’s spread): +8.0 (bet365)
New York vs Washington Prediction: Latest NBA Headlines
New York played on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. The final score in the game was 128-92 as the Knicks posted a 36-point victory in a game that Philadelphia hosted. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey both played in the game, making the result a surprising one.
Anunoby had 37 minutes and Isaiah Hartenstein had 35 minutes in the game. New York might have been smart to try and find those two players a little bit more rest time in the game.
Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes were both effective off of the bench. Hart had a double-double for rebounds and points at 15 and 10 off of the bench. He also went an almost unheard-of +46 in the game for net point differential. In fact, Grimes went +37 in the game, which you also rarely see on a stat sheet.
New York Knicks injuries: recent news
Heading into Saturday, the Knicks have a clear depth chart with ESPN for injuries. That doesn’t include Mitchell Robinson, the team’s No. 1 center who is expected to miss the entire season. Hartenstein has taken over as the team’s starting center with Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims in support. Since the Knicks played on Friday, their backers must check on the team’s roster on Saturday (linked below).
Double-check for playing status updates with New York (00:55 ET time of writing):: Team’s Depth Chart
Washington also played on Friday, a game that they lost at Cleveland 114-90. The team held back their starters in the game, with none of them playing more than 26 minutes. Almost the entire bench saw action in an off night for Washington’s best players. Kyle Kuzma had just nine points in the game and Jordan Poole had just two.
Washington Wizards injuries: recent news
The Wizards were down Landry Shamet on Friday night. However, the team has had much worse injury situations this season. Bettors can look for an update with Shamet on Saturday. Also, the whole team can be double-checked using the hyperlink below.
Double-check status updates Washington (00:55 ET time of writing):: Team’s Depth Chart
Knicks vs Wizards Prediction: Betting Tips
The Knicks clearly have benefited from the trade with Toronto. Firstly, the guards that the Knicks offloaded were good players. But New York still has a capable set of players in their backcourt. Since debuting Anunoby and Achiuwa, the Knicks are undefeated. While they have only played three games, the competition has been excellent.
The Knicks beat Minnesota, the Chicago Bulls by 16 at a time when Chicago has generally played well, and the Knicks destroyed Philadelphia by 36 in Philly’s own house. The Knicks are +52 in their last three games against what can only be called a tough schedule.
The Knicks can be taken in NBA futures 2023/24 to make it to the Eastern Conference finals at 11 to 1 (bet365). You have to bet them to win the Eastern Conference finals at 22 to 1 with bet365 and select the each-way terms (ie. “E/W 1/2, 1-2”). In doing so, you will get half odds on 22 to 1 for them if they merely qualify for the Eastern Conference finals (ie. you place two bets).
For the game at hand, you have to hate that New York played a couple of key players in big minutes on Friday. I think this is a game where you expect a slower-than-average pace. My recommendation is the UNDER for total points at 238.5 and odds of -110 (bet365). The Knicks have not had a game with 239 points or more since Anunoby appeared with the team. In fact, they have not really come close to that total in their last three games.
Additional reading: Look ahead to Wild Card Weekend 2024!
