The New York Knicks (17-10) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (5-23) on Saturday, December 21st. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on NBA. The Knicks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pelicans are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pelicans. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Knicks vs Pelicans

The Knicks Are Coming Off A Win

New York improved to 17-10 on the season with a dominant 133-107 road win over the Timberwolves on Thursday. The Knicks, who entered the game as +3.5 point underdogs, not only won but covered the spread. The game’s total of 240 points exceeded the O/U line of 214 by 26 points.

After a tight 1st quarter, the Knicks went on an 11-0 run and outscored Minnesota 41-18 in the 2nd quarter. They extended their lead to 104-74 by the end of the 3rd before the Timberwolves outscored them 33-29 in the 4th.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

The Pelicans dropped to 5-23 on the season after a 133-113 road loss to the Rockets on Thursday. New Orleans entered the game as +9.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 246 points went well over the pre-game line of 218.5.

Houston took control early with a 13-0 run, stretching the score from 7-5 to 18-7. The Pelicans couldn’t recover, as they were outscored 39-25 in the 1st quarter. While they played the 2nd and 4th quarters evenly, the Rockets’ 33-27 edge in the 3rd left New Orleans trailing 99-79 heading into the final period.

Knicks Offense Breakdown

The Knicks poured in 133 points in their win over the Timberwolves, shooting 51.5% from the field and hitting 20 threes at a 44.4% clip. Karl-Anthony Towns was perfect from deep, making 5 threes and finishing with 32 points, 20 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Mikal Bridges added 29 points, knocking down 4 threes, while Miles McBride also hit 4 from beyond the arc, contributing 16 points. Towns scored 19 of his points in the 2nd quarter, while McBride added 8 in the 4th.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

In their 133-113 loss to the Rockets, the Pelicans shot 44.6% from the field but connected on 46.4% of their three-point attempts, hitting 13 threes overall. Trey Murphy III led the way with 28 points, making 4 threes at a 66.7% clip, while Herbert Jones added 20 points and 4 made threes.

Murphy scored 9 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters, while Jones put up 13 of his 20 points in the 3rd. CJ McCollum contributed 18 points, with 7 coming in the 3rd quarter.

Knicks Team Defense

Despite giving up 33 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters, the Knicks’ defense tightened up in the 2nd and 3rd, allowing just 18 and 23 points, respectively, to hold the Timberwolves to 107 points. New York sent Minnesota to the free-throw line 13 times, where they converted 8 attempts.

The Knicks struggled to defend the three-point line, as the Timberwolves hit 17 threes at a 40% clip. However, New York controlled the boards, giving up just 6 offensive rebounds while collecting 41 defensive boards. They also added 10 steals and 2 blocks.

Pelicans Team Defense

Despite giving up 33 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters, the Knicks’ defense tightened up in the 2nd and 3rd, allowing just 18 and 23 points, respectively, to help secure a 133-107 win over the Timberwolves. New York sent Minnesota to the line only 13 times, where they made 8 free throws.

From beyond the arc, the Timberwolves hit 17 threes at a 40% rate. The Knicks controlled the boards, giving up just 6 offensive rebounds while grabbing 41 defensive boards. They also added 10 steals and 2 blocks.

Knicks vs Pelicans Trends

• Through their last ten road games, New York has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 7-3 while averaging 118 points per game.
• Across the Pelicans last five home games, the team averaged 106 points per game while allowing 123. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 0-5 straight-up.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-2.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Knicks have gone 4-6 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.

Knicks vs Pelicans Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Knicks to win, and have the projected score sitting at 132-113. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Knicks at -8.5.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 226, and our model projects the Knicks and Pelicans to reach a combined total of 245 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.