Lakers vs. Knicks Picks, Prediction for Saturday, Feb. 3
Here's everything you need to know about Lakers vs. Knicks on Saturday, Feb. 3 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today.
The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off perhaps the most surprising victory of the year with a 114-1 victory over the Celtics on the road. It was just the third time this season that Boston suffered a loss at home.
But it's one thing to walk into TD Garden and get a win; it's another to do so without your two best players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Both players missed the contest due to injuries, and they're listed as game-time decisions when the Lakers visit the Knicks on Saturday night.
However, these injuries don't sound too minor as James is dealing with peroneal tendinopathy in his left ankle while Davis has a hip and Achilles problem. As a result, I can't say that I'd be too surprised if they missed yet another game.
And given their overall value, the uncertain status of these key players makes this handicap all the more difficult.
Let's get to our Lakers vs. Knicks prediction and pick.
Lakers vs. Knicks Prediction
Picks: Austin Reaves under 8.5 rebounds + assists | Isaiah Hartenstein over 10.5 rebounds
Lakers Betting Outlook
Even in a season where James and Davis have been relatively healthy, it feels like we're constantly dissecting their status on the injury report. James has missed six of the Lakers' 50 games this season compared to four for Davis.
Moreover, Thursday's game against the Celtics was the first time this season that both players were inactive for the same game. If you look at the previous campaign, there were 16 games that both sat out together.
Yet, with both players playing more games this season, the Lakers don't look any closer to mounting a legitimate challenge for an NBA title. At 25-25, Los Angeles is currently the ninth seed in the Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Suns.
After the NBA free agency period over the summer, there was plenty of optimism about this Lakers team and how they added the necessary depth to support their two superstars.
However, we're still waiting to see if this team can play at a higher level or simply up to their potential.
The victory over the Celtics felt more like an anomaly than anything else. Los Angeles shot just 40% from the floor but 53% from behind the 3-point line on 19-of-36 shooting.
It's worth noting that the Lakers rank just 29th in 3-point field goals with 11.1 per game.
There's also the thought that the Celtics underestimated the Lakers, given the absence of their two key players.
The reality is the Lakers will only go as far as James and Davis can take them. But much like their status for Saturday's game, the end product continues to look uncertain.
Knicks Betting Outlook
The Knicks are a team that's absolutely flying at the moment. New York's lost just twice in its last 17 games since OG Anunoby debuted with the team following the midseason trade with Toronto.
Things are progressing well enough for the Knicks that they didn't skip a beat, even with Anunoby missing their last three games with an elbow injury.
Anunoby and Julius Randle (shoulder) picked up injuries in the same game, but the latter isn't expected to return until late February, while the former will be a game-time decision against the Lakers.
Nonetheless, there's a real cohesion with this Knicks team at the moment as they're now just a half-game behind the Bucks for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
One of the more interesting things about this Knicks roster is that they boast four players from Villanova who played alongside one another while winning two national championships in 2016 and 2018.
Donte DiVincenzo was the most recent player Villanova alum to join the team, with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono already on its books. But while DiVincenzo and Hart were both first-round draft picks, the former second-round pick Brunson is carving out a better career.
Brunson is coming off a 40-point effort against the Pacers on Thursday night, while DiVincenzo chipped in with 20 of his own.
Although it's hard to pick against the Knicks given their current form, there's too much to wade through with this lengthy injury report. As a result, I recommend isolating some player props to target in this matchup.
Lakers vs. Knicks Picks, Odds
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -108 | 226 -110o / -110u | +124 |
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -112 | 226 -110o / -110u | -148 |
Pick 1: Austin Reaves under 8.5 rebounds + assists
Although Reaves scored a season-high 32 points against the Celtics, but he didn't exactly fill out the stats sheet, with three assists and two rebounds. He's averaging 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds this season which, when combined, is higher than this prop of 8.5.
However, Reaves has only exceeded this number once in his last eight games. He's seeing less of the ball as Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell is doing a good job of late creating opportunities for his teammates. In Russell's last eight games, he's averaging 7.3 assists compared to 6.3 assists on the year.
Russell also posted a season-high with 14 assists the Celtics. Since Reaves isn't a good enough rebounder for my liking, I think playing this combo under the number offers a ton of value.
Pick 2: Isaiah Hartenstein over 10.5 rebounds
We're getting a bit of a soft number here with Hartenstein, who has seen an uptick in playing time following Mitchell Robinson's season-ending ankle injury. Hartenstein is coming off a 19-rebound effort in New York's 109-105 victory over the Pacers.
While his minutes can be sporadic at times, given opponent matchups the Knicks will likely need his size on the court should Davis return.
Hartenstein is a player who will come in and do his job. The Knicks aren't asking him to be a scorer. He just needs to play defense and clean the glass.
Keeping Davis at bay is big enough of an assignment. In their previous meeting in December, Hartenstein scored nine points but grabbed 17 rebounds in the Knicks road victory.
As a result, this matchup suits Hartenstein for his rebounding prop, and I expect him to go over the number comfortably.
