Line on the Knicks vs. Spurs Game Steady at -7
Carrie Stroup here with your line on the Knicks vs. Spurs game, which remained steady at -7 heading into the evening. This is a game that should get some decent betting action. Find all the latest NBA lines at Sportsbook.com here and claim up to $250 in FREE CASH when you join today with as little as $25.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: San Antonio -7 & 200
Opening Line & Total: Spurs -7.5 & 199
The Knicks get no favors from the schedule as they play the back end of a Texas road back-to-back in San Antonio Wednesday night.
The Knicks were never quite in it at Dallas on Tuesday night, a 95-85 loss in which they shot 38.1% from the field. The shine had been wearing off PG Jeremy Lin, who had a poor showing for the third time in four games (14 points on 4-for-13 shooting and a minus-11 rating). But the really worrisome performance was from SF Carmelo Anthony, who had one of the worst games of his career (six points on 2-for-12 shooting from the field and a -18 plus/minus) and was benched down the stretch. The Spurs may have dropped two of three (all at home) to start the second half of the season, but this team is well-rested and poised for a big night against a Knicks team that is falling apart. The Spurs are 18-8 SU and 16-11 ATS with at least one day’s rest.
The Spurs have dropped games to the Bulls and Nuggets (and beaten Charlotte) at home since the All-Star break. They had some health issues in Sunday’s 99-94 loss to Denver. PF Tim Duncan (14.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG) played through flu-like symptoms, and C DeJuan Blair (9.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG) lasted less than four minutes before leaving with a knee injury.
But the injury outlook is getting better. Duncan is expected to be at full strength on Wednesday, Blair’s injury was termed a bruise (though he’s still questionable) and SG Manu Ginobili (11.7 PPG) continues to inch closer to 100 percent in his return from an oblique injury. The Denver game was Ginobili’s first in more than two weeks, and he lasted 24 minutes while scoring eight points, shooting 2-for-3 from behind the arc and handing out five assists.
PG Tony Parker (19.2 PPG, 7.9 APG) is averaging 17.0 PPG on 51.2% FG and 6.7 APG since the All-Star Break, and PF Tiago Splitter (9.1 PPG) has been strong off the bench since returning from a calf injury (+8.3 plus/minus). Throw in the continued red-hot shooting of C Matt Bonner (7.7 PPG, 46.5% 3-pt FG), who’s hit 59.5% of his threes over the past nine games, and San Antonio looks poised for a midseason surge.
After a disappointing showing in Dallas on Tuesday, the Knicks look like they’re on the verge of a collapse. They’ve dropped three of four, SU and ATS. While their overtime loss in Boston was understandable, they weren’t nearly as competitive against the Mavs. Anthony (21.0 PPG on 39.6% FG) had little energy on either end of the floor. Lin (14.6 PPG, 6.1 APG) is now shooting 27.5% from the field and has more turnovers (16) than assists (15) in his past three road games, all losses. New York has failed to cover in its past four road games.
The positives for the Knicks right now are that PF Amar’e Stoudemire (17.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG) has shown flashes of his old form in the first two games of this road trip, averaging 21.0 PPG on 50.0% FG and 10.0 RPG. And SF Steve Novak (8.5 PPG, 47.7% from three) has torched the nets for the past month, averaging 12.8 PPG and hitting 48.5% of his threes over a 14-game stretch.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
