NBA
Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks Preview: Odds, Tips, and Prediction
Kick-Off Time: 01:30 Local Time (03:30 ET / 18:30 PT previous day) Venue: Madison Square Garden The New York Knicks will be looking to extend their winnings runs to three when they host the Lakers for the first time this season. The previous meeting ended 1130-105 in favour of the Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena. And with the anticipation of another intriguing match, NBA fans and punters are already looking into NBA betting sites for odds and predictions.
Los Angeles Lakers v New York Knicks//Getty Images
This will be the first clash between these teams in the 2024-2025 season. The Knicks have a slight advantage due to their high-flying performances and the Laker’s poor form away from home.
New York Knicks are placed third in the Eastern Conference standings with a 29-16 record. Having defeated the reigning NBA champions, the Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference, just below the Nuggets. Their recent results show that they are ready for this anticipated battle.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Los Angeles Lakers: 61/100 (1.61) – 62.1%
New York Knicks: 7/5 (2.40) – 41.7%
Odds courtesy of Stake, subject to change.
Head-to-Head Record
Last five meetings (NBA)
New York Knicks 105-118 Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers 109-114 New York Knicks
Los Angeles Lakers 108-112 New York Knicks
New York Knicks 123-129 Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers 122-115 New York Knicks
New York Knicks Current Form – LWLWW
The New York Knicks have only two losses in their five NBA games, and they are on a two-game winning streak. This has put them a distant third ahead of the third place, Milwaukee Bucks.
A positive result against the Lakers will see them neck and neck with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings, indicating they are a serious playoff contender.
They defeated the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks 99-95 and 119- 110, respectively, but fell short to the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-99. Tom Thibodeau’s side prides themselves on 64.4% victory percentage and a 14-8 home record.
The New York-based team lost this fixture last season. They were in a better position for the win after going down in the first quarter 27-25 but switched off in the fourth quarter, where the visitors outscored 33-19. They hope to do things differently, especially with a much different roster this time.
Key Players to Watch
- Kart Antony Towns: Since his trade from the Timberwolves, KAT has had an exceptional season so far, making him one of the MVP favourites. He averages 25.1 points per game and 13.9 rebounds per game with a 33.1% efficiency rating. With his 54.5% field goal percentage, he is tipped to be the main difference maker on the court.
- Mikal Bridges: Another standout performer of the Knicks is Mikal Bridges. He boasts 17.9 points per game and has nearly started all the games this season. His availability is crucial for the team’s consistency; thus, Thibodeau will be counting on him again.
- Josh Hart: Josh Hart is a versatile player with extraordinary playmaking abilities. With his 14.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.55 steals per game, he has been an integral part of his team’s success this season.
New York Knicks Team News
Cameron Payne suffers from illness and is expected to recover soon.
Janel Brunson has a knee injury and is questionable for the encounter.
Og Anunoby is out due to an elbow injury. There is no timeline for Anunoby’s return after this setback.
Mitchell Robinson is out for the season due to an ankle injury, having undergone surgery.
Los Angeles Lakers Current Form – WWLWW
Los Angeles Lakers will be more desperate to win as they want to improve their records on the road. Coming to this match, they have a 24-18 record and 109.2 points per game.
They beat their arch-rivals, the Celtics, at home 117-96, where they dominated 3 of the 4 quarters. Before that, they defeated the Wizards (111-88) and Nets (102-101) but lost to the Clippers (116-102).
Their performances have been fairly average this season, as indicated by their victory percentage of 57.1%. Most of their games against top sides have always not gone in their favour result-wise. This shows that there’s more to be done if they want to be playoff contenders.
The Laker’s victory over the Knicks last time out shows that they can always fight their way back into the game despite trailing. JJ Redick’s side hopes to build on their recent positive results when they meet at Madison Square Garden on Feb 1, 2025.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers//Getty Images
Key Players to Watch
- Lebron James: The Lakers superstar is so good despite being 40 years old. Even in his 22nd season in the NBA, he averages 23.6 points,7.7 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game. With Lebron on the count, he can lead his team to a win, and the Knicks must find a way to keep him quiet.
- Antony Davis: Antony Davis looks rejuvenated under JJ Redick this season with a 52.3% field goals percentage and an efficiency rating of 32.0%. We can expect another great performance from AD in this matchup.
- Austin Reaves: Coming from a stellar performance in recent weeks where he recorded a career-high of 38 points against the Nets, Austin Reaves is full of confidence and hopes to be the difference maker again. His performances have shown that he can be a formidable partner to AD and James.
Los Angeles Lakers Team News
Jordan Goodwin suffers from an Achilles injury.
Gabe Vincent has a knee problem and will be out for several weeks after surgery.
Cam Reddish (Ankle) will likely return after the All-Star break
Nasheta John is an experienced senior sports writer passionate about football and basketball. Although it takes effort to search far down for such tiny data nuggets, for Nasheta, it is well worth every minute.
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