New York Knicks @ Phoenix Suns - November 20, 2024

As we gear up for Wednesday’s matchup between the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center, there’s a palpable sense of excitement. The Knicks come in as -5 point favorites, and given their current form, it’s hard to argue against that line.

Let’s dive into some numbers to get a clearer picture of what we might expect from this game. The Knicks have been on a roll lately, winning three straight games and boasting an impressive offensive output of 115.5 points per game with a shooting percentage hovering around 49.6%. They also excel from beyond the arc, hitting 37.4% of their three-point attempts, which is crucial for stretching defenses.

On the other side, the Suns are struggling offensively right now. They’ve averaged just 112.3 points per game while shooting at a lower efficiency rate of 46%. Their recent loss to the Magic highlighted their woes; they failed to cover as underdogs and saw their total score fall below expectations at just 208 combined points.

Defensively, both teams show interesting trends that could influence tonight’s outcome. The Knicks allow about 42.5 rebounds per game while forcing approximately 6.8 steals and committing nearly 18 fouls per contest. Conversely, the Suns grab slightly more rebounds (44.1) but struggle with turnovers—averaging about 14 lost possessions each game.

The key here lies in how well each team can execute its offense against the other’s defense while minimizing mistakes like turnovers and fouls. Given that New York has shown resilience on both ends of the floor recently, I predict they will outpace Phoenix in scoring.

In terms of covering spreads, it’s worth noting that if an underdog were to win outright tonight (which seems less likely), they’d typically cover; however, given New York’s current momentum and Phoenix’s four-game losing streak—the odds favor a Knicks victory by more than five points.

When it comes to total scoring predictions for this matchup set at 220 points: considering both teams’ recent performances—especially New York’s propensity for high-scoring games (240 total last outing)—I anticipate this game will see scores surpassing that threshold comfortably.

So my predictions? The Knicks take home the win against the Suns tonight while covering that -5 spread effectively due to their superior offensive firepower and defensive discipline compared to what we’ve seen from Phoenix lately. Expect an entertaining night where we may very well witness an OVER performance based on how both offenses have operated thus far in this young season!