by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2021
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, December 23, 2021
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Where to Watch: MSG
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Wizards -1, Knicks +1; Over/Under: NL points
Bet365: Point Spread: Wizards NL, Knicks NL; Over/Under: NL points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Wizards +1.5, Knicks -1.5; Over/Under: NL points
Season Record
Washington Wizards: 16-15 (2nd place, Southeast Division)
New York Knicks: 14-17 (5th place, Atlantic Division)
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Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
Washington Wizards: 3-7 last 10
New York Knicks: 3-7 last 10
Washington Wizards Analysis
The Wizards are coming into this game with a 16-15 record overall and they are 8-11 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They have lost 4 of their last 5 games but are coming into this one off of a win in their last game which snapped a 4 game losing streak that they were on. Their 4 losses were against the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets, the Sacramento Kings, and the Phoenix Suns while their win came against the Jazz in their last game. Bradley Beal went off in that game as he led the team in points with 37 while Raul Neto was next on the team off the bench with 15 points. Beal also led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Daniel Gafford led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 44.7% from the field, 29% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 105.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 108.1 PPG against them. The Wizards have an ATS record of 13-17-1 this season and their O/U record is 14-16-1.
New York Knicks Analysis
The Knicks are coming into this game with a 14-17 record overall and they are 6-10 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They have won 2 of their last 3 games and they are coming into this one off of a win in their last game. Their last loss was against the Boston Celtics while their 2 wins in that span came against the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons in their last game. Evan Fournier led the team in points in that game with 22 while Julius Randle and Kemba Walker were both next on the team with 21 points each. Alec Burks led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Mitchell Robinson led the team in rebounds off the bench with 14. They were 44.4% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 73.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 105.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 106.9 PPG against them. The Knicks have an ATS record of 13-18 this season and their O/U record is 14-17.
Wizards vs Knicks Prediction
The Wizards are coming into this game as a 1 point favorite with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Wizards have not been winning a lot of games recently but they played a lot better in their last game snapping a losing streak that they were on. The Knicks have struggled after a great start to the season they actually sit 3 games below .500 now. They have also struggled to win games at home this season and they will be missing a few of their starters in this game. Bradley Beal is coming off of a big game where he played great and he is likely going to continue that into this game against a weakened Knicks lineup. This is a great spot for the Wizards to get back on track and string some wins together. The best bet to place in this game is on the Wizards to cover the spread here and win the game straight up on the moneyline.
Wizards vs Knicks Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Thursday, December 23, 2021 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Wizards 111 Knicks 107.
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NBA Betting Trends
Washington Wizards: 4-7 ATS as a road underdog. 5-12 ATS in road games. 9-20 ATS in December games. 4-7 ATS after a non-conference game. 2-6 ATS when playing only their 2nd game in 7 days. 0-7 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4 games. 12-19 ATS after a win by 6 points or less.
New York Knicks: 14-22 O/U when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days. 5-11 O/U after 1 or more consecutive unders. 13-25 O/U after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread. 4-13 O/U after scoring 105 points or less. 2-6 O/U after a combined score of 205 points or less. 5-10 O/U after playing a home game.
Key Injuries
Washington Wizards: C. Kispert (SF) Ques Thurs - Quadricep injury. K. Caldwell-Pope (SG) Out indefinitely - Illness. T. Bryant (C) Early Jan - Knee injury. R. Hachimura (PF) Early Jan - Personal. K. Kuzma (PF) Out indefinitely - Illness.
New York Knicks: D. Rose (PG) Ques Thurs - Ankle injury. M. McBride (PG) Out indefinitely - Illness. I. Quickley (SG) Out indefinitely - Illness. K. Knox II (SF) Out indefinitely - Illness. Q. Grimes (SG) Out indefinitely - Illness. R. Barrett (SF) Out indefinitely - Illness. O. Toppin (PF) Out indefinitely - Illness.
Notable Quotes
"When Raul won the jump ball and I got it, all I heard from my bench was ‘butter', which means it's late in the clock. I just turned around, got separation and made it." - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on their win against the Jazz on Saturday night.
"I'm just being myself, trying to do what I can to keep us upbeat. I think that's a little bit of what we've been missing a little bit throughout the season, throughout the year, is just the overall joy for the game." - Kemba Walker on getting to start again in their win against the Pistons on Tuesday night.
Starting Lineups
Washington Wizards
PG Spencer Dinwiddie
SG Bradley Beal
SF Deni Avdija
PF Kyle Kuzma
C Daniel Gafford
New York Knicks
PG Alec Burks
SG Derrick Rose
SF Evan Fournier
PF Julius Randle
C Mitchell Robinson
Statistical Leaders
Washington Wizards
PPG: B. Beal (23.3)
APG: B. Beal (5.9)
RPG: K. Kuzma (7.8)
New York Knicks
PPG: J. Randle (19.6)
APG: J. Randle (5.2)
Reb/G: J. Randle (9.8)
Coaches:
Washington Wizards: Wes Unseld (1st season)
New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau (2nd season)
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
