New Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks Betting Preview/Prop Picks
20 January 2022
The New Orleans Pelicans have suffered two straight losses on their road stretch. To their credit, they did have to face the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.
However, they'll aim to end their road skid against a team suffering their own slump. Injuries have been the most notable trouble for the Pelicans. However, they are, for the most part, healthy as they face the Knicks.
The New York Knicks are on a two-game losing streak as well, suffering losses to the Hornets and Timberwolves. The Knicks are 11-13 at home this season and can get that record closer to .500 with a win.
It's going to take some doing, but the Knicks are capable of winning this game. They'll just need to see more consistency from Julius Randle, who has been underwhelming.
New Orleans Pelicans: Still no Zion, perhaps no Graham either
We're sure that when the Pelicans drafted Zion, they didn't think he'd be injured so long. If they had him back in the lineup, we're sure their win total would go up.
Instead, they're forced to rely on Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans only hope at winning games. The problem is the leading scorer doesn't have any support. Not to mention they're one of the worst shooting teams.
Poor shooting and lack of production have led to a 16-28 record. There aren't many signs of it getting much better either. We know they have the ability to win games; we've seen this in their win over the Warriors and Clippers.
The problem with the Pelicans is consistency, the same issue plaguing the New York Knicks. To win this game, the Pelicans need to show reliability.
New York Knicks: Julius Randle really needs to step it up
Randle has been pretty lackluster this season compared to last year. He only averages 19.1 points per game, and the team as a whole average just 104.31.
With one of the worst offenses in the league, at least the Knicks play pretty great defense. They rank No.5 in points allowed per game at 104.62. If only they could get their offense to have the same intensity as their defense.
Tonight's game is about being able to step it up when it matters most. Julius Randle is clearly the best player on the team; it's his responsibility to lead them.
This is a very favorable matchup for the Knicks, and they'd be wise to not squander it. The Pelicans have an awful offense, with a 21st ranked defense to match. This game is there for the Knicks to win; they just have to take it.
Our pick for the New Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks
It should be no surprise that the Knicks are the favored team in this game. The Pelicans have a 16-28 record with a 20-24 record against the spread.
The Knicks' record against the spread isn't much better at 22-23, matching their regular-season record. New York comes in at -3.5, which isn't a very large spread for them to cover.
The Pelicans struggle on both ends of the court, making them an unreliable pick. They haven't shown any consistency and are 6-17 on the road. We'll go with the New York Knicks to win this game and cover the spread, with the total going under.
DunkelIndex Free Pick: New York Knicks -3.5, UNDER
Prop Picks
New Orleans (-120) UNDER 103.5 Points
The Pelicans have gone UNDER in five of their last six games overall and 22 of their last 30 as a road underdog. In addition, the Knicks have gone UNDER in each of their last seven games as a favorite.
With Dunkel predicting a New York win by the score of 108-96, take the Pelicans (-120) to go UNDER their Vegas team total of 103.5 points.
Herbert Jones (-120) OVER 11.5 Points
Taken just 35th in last year’s NBA draft, Jones has become an everyday starter for the Pelicans. His trademark in his young career has been his defense. But the 23-year-old’s offense has vastly improved as well.
After shooting just 25 percent from beyond the arc and 60 percent on free throws in his four-year college career, Jones has upped those numbers to 37 percent on threes and 82 percent at the foul line in his first season in the NBA.
With the Pels’ rookie increasingly becoming a go-to option on offense, take the Jones (-120) to go OVER his Vegas total of 11.5 points tonight against the Knicks.
Be sure to check out all of today’s NBA picks!
