The New York Knicks (13-10) travel to face off against the Phoenix Suns (13-11) on Friday, December 15th. This game will be played at Footprint Center. Both the Knicks and Suns will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 10:00 ET.

Knicks vs Suns

The Knicks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Knicks is coming off a loss to the Jazz in their latest game, ending with a score of 117-113. The Knicks not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread as -5.5 point favorites. The game finished with a push on the over/under with the line going into the game being set at 230 points.

When comparing the Knicks’ last ten games, they are 5-5 and come into today’s matchup with the Suns at 13-10 overall. This season, the Knicks are 6-7 on the road and 7-3 at home.

Against the spread, New York are currently above .500, at 13-10 ATS. In their last three road games, New York has been unable to cover the spread, and they hold an ATS record of 7-6 on the road as opposed to 6-4 at home.

The Suns Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Suns will look to bounce back from a defeat in their last game, losing to the Nets with a final score of 116-112. The Suns not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread as -4 point favorites. Regarding the over/under, the combined score of 228 points ended up below the over/under line of 231.

So far this season, the Suns are 13-11 overall and have gone 1-2 in their last three games. In their 24 games, the Suns are 10-8 against Western Conference opponents and 3-3 in non-conference matchups.

Phoenix has an overall ATS record of 10-14 for the season so far. Phoenix has gone 6-10 against the spread this season when they are the favorites, and they are 4-4 when playing as underdogs.

Knicks Offense Breakdown

Through 23 games the Knicks are averaging 113.1 points per contest, placing them 18th in the NBA. The Knicks come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 13.4 made 3’s per game. New York is a strong candidate to see their overall offensive numbers improve, as not only are they a good outside shooting unit, but they do a good job taking care of the ball, ranking 5th in fewest turnovers per game.

Suns Offense Breakdown

The Suns arrive for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top offensive teams, scoring an average of 115.1 points per game (12th). So far, the Suns are averaging 97.7 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. One thing to keep on an eye on is if the Suns offense will be able to maintain their production, as not only are they a below average team in terms of pace, but their effective field goal percentage of 54% is a below-average figure.

Knicks Team Defense

At present, the Knicks’ defense is ranked 6th, allowing 110.0 points per game.

New York struggled on the boards in their last game vs. the Jazz, giving up 14. For the game, Utah scored 117 points in the game.

Suns Team Defense

In terms of defense, Suns is currently on par with the NBA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 113.2 points per game.

On two point field goal attempts, the Suns’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 52.4% and allowing 34.8% from beyond the arc.

Key Players For The Knicks And Suns

For today’s matchup, we project Jalen Brunson to lead the scoring for the Knicks, putting up 21 points and shooting at a rate of 8/14. Throughout this season, his average stands at 24.6 points per game, along with 3.7 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Kevin Durant as the leading scorer for the Suns. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 17 while also collecting 4 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 52% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 30.8 points per game.

Knicks vs Suns Trends

• Although New York has a straight up record of 4-6 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-5. The team averaged 113 points per game in these games.
• In their last three games at home, the Suns have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 108 points per game in these contests.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Knicks have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Suns have a straight up record of 7-3 and an ATS mark of 4-6.

 

Knicks vs Suns Prediction

 

Coming in as the underdogs at +5, we have the Knicks as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 230.5 and given that our model is projecting 225 points between the teams, we like the under.

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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.