The Knicks’ four-game road trip continues Tuesday night in Houston, where they will face Kevin Durant and the Rockets at the Toyota Center.
New York’s season hit another disappointing episode with back-to-back losses to the Hornets and Thunder. But the Blue and Orange remain the only third seed with the playoffs on the horizon.
The Rockets have won two straight, as they look to avenge their 108-106 loss to the Knicks back in February.
Durant and Houston are slight 1.5-point favorites at home, with the Over/Under set at 218.5 points at BetMGM Sportsbook.
Knicks vs. Rockets prediction, best bet
The weaknesses of both teams seem to come into play.
Houston’s inability to close out games is reflected in its turnovers in the final moments, often due to the lack of real guards on the floor. An example of this was in the first meeting of the season, when they outscored New York 93-75 in the fourth quarter.
That’s also why the Timberwolves were able to erase a 13-point deficit against them and score 15 straight points in overtime last Wednesday.
While Durant is a reliable scorer and Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson are showing great potential, the absence of Fred VanVleet leaves Ime Udoka struggling to find a consistent clutch-time offense.
For the Knicks, the main problem is the lack of power when playing outside of Penn Plaza and Seventh Avenue. Their 14-24 record against the spread as a road team highlights this problem, and their struggles away from home remain a mystery.
Brunson often finds himself playing hero football, trying to get the team to win. On the other hand, Karl-Anthony Towns’ inconsistency often makes him a burden on defense, which also forces players like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby to step up as front-runners.
Betting on the NBA?
One player who is free from that challenge is Josh Hart.
That’s why I focused on Hart’s prop of rebounds and assists this time around, as the Villanova product averaged 8.3 rebounds and four assists per game in March.
If Udoka decides to blast Brunson with double teams, expect him to have the basketball in his hands early and often.
The Play: Josh Hart Over 11.5 Rebounds + Assists (+102, bet365 Sportsbook)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Mike Turay is a sports reporter and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and the UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA betting and NFL player prop for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook landscape, regularly testing and updating the latest apps and sites.
