There are some games on the NBA schedule in which the outcome is almost preordained before the contest starts. That seems to be the case for a matchup next week when the Golden State Warriors hit the road to face off against the New York Knicks.
The Warriors are the favorites to win yet another NBA championship while the Knicks are languishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and recently lost star power forward Kristaps Porzingis for the rest of the season because of a knee injury.
The Warriors have to play this game on the road so it’s not a 100 percent guarantee they come away with the win, but as long as they are halfway-coherent they should be able to breeze past hapless New York. Look for Golden State to be a sizable favorite in this one despite the location.
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Odds Analysis
The Warriors are 44-14 straight up and 26-31-1 against the spread. Golden State has gone 13-15-1 against the spread on the year. The Warriors have been favored in every game this season and that certainly won’t be in jeopardy in this matchup.
The Knicks are 24-36 straight up and 29-31 against the spread. They have done a nice job at home, covering in 16 of 28 matchups. New York is 19-24 against the spread as the underdog on the year.
Key Stat
Four. That is how many games the Warriors have both won and lost in their past eight, which is a rarity for a team of this caliber. Golden State has the best collection of talent in the NBA but has now fallen a half-game behind the Rockets for the best record in the league and the Western Conference.
The Warriors will likely focus down the stretch and play better ball. They haven’t been bad by any means but are only one loss away from matching their total from all of last season. The regular season is just a formality for this team and it is bound to lose concentration every once in awhile. However, with Houston ahead of them, the Warriors figure to be inspired for the foreseeable future.
Player To Watch
Enes Kanter -- Without Porzingis around, the Knicks are painfully void of impact players. One of their top guys now is Kanter, who was acquired from the Thunder in exchange for Carmelo Anthony this offseason.
He has taken advantage of a bigger role, averaging 14.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game. Kanter isn’t a big-time scorer but he is shooting 60.4 percent from the field so the Knicks would be well-served to get him as involved as possible.
Kanter has registered a double-double in each of his past four games and has really stepped up in Porzingis’ absence. However, he isn’t getting a lot of help as the Knicks are generally undermanned.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Warriors might put this one out of reach by the end of the third quarter. New York sometimes struggles on defense and it’s hard to envision them keeping the great Warriors offense in check.
Kevin Durant should lead the way in his team’s easy victory in New York, while Draymond Green and Stephen Curry should also be able to put up big numbers. The Warriors are going to be substantial favorites in this contest but may still be able to cover. The “over” should be considered as Golden State could shoot the lights out.
NBA Odds: Warriors 128, Knicks 111
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