The Rockets travel to the Big Apple to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Their last meeting was in early November, and both teams have grown drastically since then. Now jousting at the top of both conferences, this will be one of the best games of the evening, tipping off at 7:30 PM ET.
OG Anunoby Out
Josh Hart Questionable
Pacome Daiet Out
Mitchell Robinson Out
Jock Landale Questionable
Fred VanVleet Out
Alperen Sengun Questionable
Jabari Smith Jr Out
Both teams are among the hottest in the league, but they have had a few bumps in the road lately. After a dominant stretch that included wins over Memphis, Denver, and Sacramento, the Knicks finally lost at home to the Lakers. This ended their five-game winning streak, which has put them in third place in the East. They have been electric on both ends of the court, having multiple wins with over 140 points. This team has been thriving in the new year, with the starting lineup starting to look like a real championship-caliber team.
The Rockets have found as much success. With this young core, they rose faster than anyone expected. The emergence of Amen Thompson has elevated this team, with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun contributing heavily as well. These guys have been some of the most elite players in their positions, and Sengun was even named an All-Star.
This matchup should be terrific, with both teams lining up well against each other. The only real issue tonight will be availability. With OG Anunoby out with an injury and Alperen Sengun questionable, these teams might be without two key contributors.
The player to keep an eye on is Jalen Brunson, who has been excelling recently, with an average of 27 points per game in January. With VanVleet sidelined, Houston's backcourt may struggle to match his performance. On the other hand, Jalen Green presents a formidable challenge for the Knicks. If Josh Hart also misses tonight’s game, it could result in Miles McBride or Landry Shamet starting. These players might lack the size and versatility that Hart provides to defend against Green effectively.
Overall, even with Houston as the favorite, the defense of Houston might be too strong tonight. Amen Thompson will likely cause havoc, and with OG down, the Knicks will need to replace a ton of starting minutes.
Money line: HOU (+200) / NYK (-245)
Total Points: 224
Spread: +6 HOU (-108) / -6 NKY (-112)
Even though Houston is a dog on this line, they still have an incredibly talented team. At +200 odds for the money, this is the value bet. Without OG, they are more than capable of taking out the Knicks. This team's depth and hustle could give the Knicks offense trouble and keep this game close.
These teams have both been scoring lately. New York has slowed down a little, but they have scored an average of nearly 120 points. That only leaves Houston with 105 points to get this line, which is very doable. Expect this game to have high-scoring moments, especially if the three-pointers fall.
The Houston spread feels healthy. At 6 points, you can feel solid it should be a close game. Unless Towns can completely seal off the paint, and the threes aren’t dropping for the Rockets, the scoring is similar between these teams.
Brunson has been scoring at an elite pace, which doesn’t seem to be slowing down soon. Considering he averaged 27 throughout January, he’s a good bet to hit that again tonight.
Towns will have to be busy tonight. With how Houston likes the crash the glass, expect Towns to have a ton of rebounds. He’s already one of the league's best rebounders, but tonight will be even better than usual.
Amen may step up the rebounding with Sengun possibly out or a little compromised. He’s already been thriving as a rebounder now that he’s in the starting lineup and coincidentally grabs 10 boards. So, hitting the 9-board mark tonight should be doable, especially with OG out for the Knicks.
Dillon Brooks would like to take most of these shots from the arch tonight to open up the Knick's defense. He’s been hitting the three-ball well and has made over three threes in the last three games. That includes a game against Boston where he had 10 made threes.