Up next on our NBA schedule is an Eastern Conference showdown between the Miami Heat (29-23, 12-14 Away) and New York Knicks (27-25, 12-14 Home) on Thursday night. Tip-off from Madison Square Garden in NYC is scheduled for 7:30 pm EST.
Entering Thursday’s slate, this matchup features the 6th and 7th seeds in the East. The teams are separated by just two games. If the regular season ended today, Miami would secure that sixth spot and face the 76ers in the first round. Meanwhile, the Knicks would be forced to compete in the play-in tournament.
This is actually the first time these two are going head-to-head this season, with three more meetings coming in the second half of the campaign. Continue reading for our Heat vs Knicks betting picks.
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks Odds
Before making Heat vs Knicks betting picks, it is important to take a look at the betting odds. According to the NBA odds, the Heat are 2-point favorites on Thursday night with an over/under of 216 points. Miami is -130 on the moneyline, while the Knicks are +110.
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks Information
Miami Heat vs New York Knicks
Location of the game: Madison Square Garden. New York, NY.
Date: Thursday, February 2. 7:30 PM ET.
How to watch: Bally Sports Sun | MSG Network
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks Analysis
Miami Heat Performance Recap and Analysis
Following Tuesday’s victory over Cleveland, the Heat have matched their season-best mark of six games over .500, only initially set last Friday after beating the Magic.
The win against the Cavs was Miami’s fourth in their last five and ninth out of 12 overall. Including tonight’s encounter with New York, six of the Heat’s final seven games of the first half will come against Eastern Conference opponents.
Looking at NBA player stats, we find that Jimmy Butler has led Miami in scoring in three straight games, his longest stretch as a high-scorer this season.
Key Injuries
There are several Miami Heat players on the injury list entering Thursday evening. Duncan Robinson remains out following finger surgery in early January.
Gabe Vincent is questionable for the game as he deals with an ankle injury. The shooting guard, Victor Oladipo is also questionable as he is also dealing with ankle issues. Keep reading to see if this affects our Heat vs Knicks betting picks.
Betting Trends to Know
The Heat are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record, but 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games following an ATS win. Also, the Under is 5-1 in the Heat’s last six overall.
New York Knicks Performance Recap and Analysis
The Knicks have slipped to the 7-seed by virtue of a recent skid that’s seen them drop two straight and six of their previous eight. This includes a four-game slide that ended two Sundays ago. Most recently, New York fell to the Lakers in overtime on Tuesday, their third OT result going back to January 16 (1-2 in those games).
A peek into NBA team stats for the Knicks finds an interesting note that over their last 23 games, only three of them have not featured a player scoring 30 points or more in the box score. Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett – the southpaw triad – have done the brunt of that scoring, with Brunson pouring in 37 in the loss on Tuesday.
Key Injuries
The one key injury hampering the Knicks is Mitchell Robinson. The New York center hurt his thumb on January 18 and hasn’t played since. Knicks’ owner James Dolan told reporters this past Sunday that Robinson will miss an additional four weeks dealing with the injury.
Betting Trends to Know
The Knicks are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games and 2-6 ATS in their last eight games overall. Over bettors have cashed nicely lately, though, as it’s 7-0-1 in the Knicks’ last eight vs. a team with a winning straight up record, 7-1 in their last eight Thursday games, and 5-1 in their last six overall.
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks Betting Picks
Of all the NBA matchups on the Thursday card, this is the only one featuring two current playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. These two appear to be jockeying for position the rest of the way. It will be interesting to see if either makes a significant move with the trade deadline approaching.
The Heat have been linked in rumors to Jae Crowder with Robinson, among others, being bandied about in discussions with Phoenix. Scanning NBA expert picks, we see that Miami is the popular pick, and it’s easy to see why, considering each team’s recent trends.
Miami should never be considered a team to have a letdown against, but aside from each team going in opposite directions, the Knicks just had a full house for LeBron and company in a must-see matchup and ended up losing. It could be difficult to ramp back up, and that will be the key in our final prediction.
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks Score Predictions
- Heat 102 – 95 Knicks
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