The New York Knicks (14-61) will try to put an end to their eight-game skid when they meet the Washington Wizards (42-33) at the Verizon Center. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 3 and can be seen on MSG and CSN-DC.
The Wizards played well in their last game, topping the 76ers 106-93 on Wednesday. Marcin Gortat was a key piece, recording his 20th double-double of the season with 23 points and 14 rebounds. The Knicks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the close 100-98 loss against the Nets on Wednesday. Andrea Bargnani had a team-high 22 points.
The Wizards defense could make it difficult on New York’s shooters. They rank fifth in the NBA in forcing misses (opponents’ effective field goal percentage of 48.3%), while the New York offense is 27th with a mark of 46.9%.
The Wizards have emerged victorious in all three games against the Knicks this year, including a 101-91 win the last time these two teams met. John Wall had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 18 points, five rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and one three-pointer.
The odds for Washington and New York are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Wizards have gone 42-33 Straight Up (SU) and 29-45-1 Against The Spread (ATS). While they boast a record of 17-7 against Eastern Conference opponents at home, they have struggled to beat the spread in those same games, going 9-15. The Wizards are one of the best in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .463 from the field. Washington’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Wizards allow a .435 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league.
Over on the other bench, the Knicks have a record of 29-44-2 ATS and 14-61 SU. New York has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record.
In their previous meeting this season, Washington beat New York, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over the Knicks in their last 10 meetings. The Wizards also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Washington and New York both held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time over the last 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – WAS, ATS Winner – WAS
Notes
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
Washington is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington’s last 8 games at home.
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York.
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington.
Washington puts up an average of 98.4 points per game (ranked 19th). New York ranks 23rd in points allowed per game with 101.4.
On average, Washington scores 102.2 points per home game (ranked 14th). New York ranks 24th in points allowed per road game with 103.4.
In its last game, New York lost by a margin of two points. Washington is 9-4 in games decided by three points or less. New York has a 1-7 record in close games.
Both New York and Washington have losing records when they allow and score fewer than 100 points, respectively. The Knicks are 11-22 in the former situation, and the Wizards are 16-26 in the latter.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Knicks are just 3-39 this season. Washington is a tremendous 26-7 when registering triple digits.
The Knicks have an offensive rating of 97.3 (ranked 29th), while the Wizards rank seventh for their defensive rating of 100.5.
The Washington Wizards have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking fourth in the league with a FG% of 46.3%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the New York Knicks have a subpar 2-36 record.
The Washington Wizards rank higher in field goal percentage (fourth) than effective field goal percentage (13th), while the New York Knicks rank the same for both metrics (27th).
Washington makes an average of 23.8 assists per game (ranked sixth), while New York makes 21.3 assists per game (ranked 19th).
Washington makes an average of 4.6 blocks per game (ranked 17th), while New York makes 4.5 blocks per game (ranked 19th).
Washington is ranked 20th in offensive rebounding. New York ranks 29th in defensive rebounds.
The Washington Wizards average 7.4 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the New York Knicks have an underachieving record (9-42) this season.
