The Los Angeles Lakers, 11th in the Western Conference and eight games out of the last playoff spot with 13 games remaining, visit the New York Knicks on Sunday, who sit fifth in the Atlantic Division and last in the East. The Lakers (31-38) are 13-22 on the road and 10-15 against the East, while the Knicks (13-56) are 6-26 at home and 5-19 against Western Conference foes. Tip-off from Madison Square Garden is scheduled for noon ET. New York has lost eight in a row. The Lakers are four-point favorites in the latest Lakers vs. Knicks odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 220. You’ll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying about the game before laying any Lakers vs. Knicks picks of your own.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks. It entered Week 22 of the 2018-19 NBA season with a sterling 240-187 record on all top-rated picks, returning almost $4,000 to anybody following them. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA picks against the spread, entering Week 22 on a strong 54-42 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.
Now the model has dialed in on Lakers vs. Knicks. We can tell you it is leaning under, but it’s also showing a pick against the spread that cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. That one is available exclusively at SportsLine.
The model knows that despite their record, the Lakers have proven they are never out of any game. In fact, Los Angeles has won 11 times this season after trailing by double-digits. The Lakers pulled off their biggest comeback of the season on Tuesday at Chicago when they rallied from a 20-point deficit to get the win. The Lakers also became the first team this season to have three players – Rajon Rondo, LeBron James, and Lonzo Ball – record a triple-double.
Los Angeles is hoping for the return of All-Star forward James (27.4 ppg), who sat out Friday’s game against Detroit due to management of a sore groin. James has been red-hot, scoring 29 points against the Raptors on Thursday and 36 against the Bulls. Forward Kyle Kuzma also had a big game at Chicago, scoring 21 points.
But just because Los Angeles can hang with any team doesn’t guarantee it will cover the Lakers vs. Knicks spread on Sunday.
That’s because since the 2014-15 season, the Knicks have won seven of nine in the series and six of the last seven played in New York. Dennis Smith Jr., who missed Friday’s game at San Antonio with a sore back, is listed as questionable for Sunday. Smith scored 18 points against the Kings on March 9, one of 36 games this season in which he has reached double-figures.
Point guard Emmanuel Mudiay had 21 at Indiana Tuesday and scored 15 in the first meeting with the Lakers, while forward Kevin Knox had 16 at Indiana and 14 against the Lakers. Knox ranks fifth in 3-point field goals made, seventh in scoring and ninth in rebounds among NBA rookies. He has had nine 20-point performances and one 30-point game.
Who wins Knicks vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Knicks vs. Lakers spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $4,000 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.
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