Two teams challenging at the top of their respective conferences meet at Madison Square Garden on Monday evening, as the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks face off.
The Knicks enter the game third in the East as they face the team third in the West, with the Rockets looking to end a two-game losing streak.
Tip-off is at 7:30 PM ET, with the game being shown on NBA TV. Let’s take a look at the odds and best bet suggestions.
After reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, the Knicks look determined to go deep again this time around and challenge for the NBA title.
It’s 52 years since the trophy was last paraded through the streets of Manhattan, and performances so far this season suggest the long wait could end soon.
Tom Thibodeau’s men currently hold a 32-17 record and go into Monday’s clash having won seven of their last 10 games.
A 128-112 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday was a setback but understandable given LeBron James rolled back the years to a 33-point triple-double.
That was one of just nine defeats in 17 home games. New York will look to rack up the wins as they try to close the gap on the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers at the top of the East.
The Rockets head to Madison Square Garden off a more concerning loss, having gone down 110-98 to the Brooklyn Nets in Texas. That came off the back of a one-point defeat to the conference-rival Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Ime Udoka had seen his team beat the top two in the East in back-to-back matchups last week, and they now face the prospect of extending their losing run to three games.
This is just the second time the two teams have faced off this season, with the Rockets winning 109-97 at home in early November.
You have to go back to 2019 for the last time Houston won in Manhattan, when James Harden scored 61 points for the visitors. With that in mind, back New York to win and cover the spread.
The Knicks currently sit fourth in the league’s points per game charts, averaging 117.7 per game. They beat that average in three of their last four outings.
New York racked up 143 against both the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies at the end of last month on their home court.
Houston sits 13th in the points-scoring stats with a per-game average of 113.6, but they have scored under 100 in two of their last seven matchups.
The Rockets have failed to reach triple-digits in each of their last four trips to the Garden and it could be a similar story this time around.
There’s no doubt Jalen Brunson will be key to the Knicks' hopes of getting their hands on the big prize this season.
The 28-year-old is currently 10th in individual scoring, averaging 25.7 per game.
Brunson, a two-time NBA All-Star, had a rare frustrating night against the Lakers with just 17 points. Prior to that, he dropped 30 in the 10-point win over the Denver Nuggets.
It’s also worth noting that the former Dallas Mavericks point guard top scored in defeat at the Toyota Center in November, when he hung 29 points on the Rockets.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the NBA on site.
Houston Rockets | +195 ML |
New York Knicks | -240 ML |
Spread | NY Knicks -6.5 |
Total Points | O/U 224.5 |
Dillon Brooks (HOU Rockets) | O/U 13.5 |
Jalen Green (HOU Rockets) | O/U 24.5 |
Alperen Sengun (HOU Rockets) | O/U 19.5 |
OG Anunoby (NY Knicks) | O/U 14.5 |
Mikal Bridges (NY Knicks) | O/U 16.5 |
Jalen Brunson (NY Knicks) | O/U 26.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.