After opening the season with 11 of 16 games on the road, a short trip across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan will seem like a home game for the Nets, who visit the Knickerbockers in a battle of the boroughs on Friday. Despite their woeful record, the Nets have been a good bet this season going 11-7 ATS.
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LOOK AHEAD
After playing 11 out of the first 16 games on the road, the Brooklyn Nets are definitely happy to be back at home, and it showed. The Nets won for the fourth straight time at Barclay’s Center, knocking off the Suns on Tuesday. Following a short trip across the Brooklyn Bridge for a battle with the Knicks on Friday, they play the next six on their own floor. It’s fair to say that the Nets have had a brutal schedule, and their record seems to indicate that. They played the four conference finalists from last season – all on the road. They also had Memphis and San Antonio on the road, two other contending teams. They played a combined 12 games against teams that made the playoffs last season, and that doesn’t include Oklahoma City, who is a major contender this season. Now that the Nets are at home and the schedule lightens up a bit, things might become easier. But only if they are able to take advantage of their extended home stay.
INJURIES
The Nets will be without reserve center Andrea Bargnani for an indefinite amount of time as he recuperates from a hamstring strain. He suffered the injury Sunday in a win over Detroit. Also, starting point guard Jarrett Jack suffered a minor foot injury during Tuesday’s game with the Suns, and said he will get treatment and be ready to play on Friday.
Carmelo Anthony sat out Sunday’s game with Houston due to an illness, but was able to return to practice this week and should ready to play against the Nets on Friday.
KEY MATCHUP
The Nets’ bench has been much-maligned, but Tuesday the reserves helped Brooklyn run its home winning streak to four by downing Phoenix. And it was backup point guard Shane Larkin who stole the show against the small-ball Suns. Phoenix plays small under most circumstances, and with Tyson Chandler missing a second straight game, the Nets knew what kind of lineup they would face. Coach Lionel Hollins gave Larkin 30 minutes, 17 seconds of playing time, and the young guard repaid him with 11 points and a career-high eight assists. He had six points and an assist in the 12-2 fourth-quarter run that turned a five-point deficit into a five-point lead with under three minutes left. “Amazing,” gushed Jack. “He’s been doing that the past three or four games for us. He’s been doing a tremendous job.” With Jack nursing a sore foot and his solid play, Larkin is likely to see more minutes and his assist total should rise.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It’s been a tough first month of the season for the Nets as they racked up the frequent flier miles. But with some home cookin’ they have a chance to make a move in the Atlantic. They returned home and won two straight at Barclay’s Center and have a short bus trip across the bridge for their only road game in two and a half weeks. Despite losing the majority of their games, the Nets were competitive in each of them. They came within a buzzer-beater of beating the Cavs and the Warriors, the two teams from last year’s NBA finals, with both of those games on the road. They also beat Atlanta on the road and remained competitive with OKC for the first three quarters. The Nets’ schedule has been grueling, but they have still managed to come out with a couple key wins. While the Knicks have a better record, it’s hard to call them the better team.
Brooklyn 98, New York 95
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks will go down Friday, December 4, 2015, at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
