The New York Knicks head to the Pepsi Center to take on the Denver Nuggets. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 8 and can be seen on ALT and MSG.
The Nuggets won a close one over the Mavericks 116-114 on Sunday. With 25 points and 20 rebounds, Kenneth Faried recorded his 18th double-double this season. The Knicks, meanwhile, are coming off a 102-89 win over the Pistons on Saturday. Carmelo Anthony had a big game and claimed his 21st double-double of the season, posting 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Faried has been playing at a high level for the Nuggets. During that stretch, he has averaged 17.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Nuggets won the first game 101-96. Will Barton recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Nuggets enter the game with records of 25-38 Straight Up (SU) and 33-26-4 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 25-38 SU and 33-26-4 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference.
Across the court, the Knicks head into the game with records of 34-29-1 ATS and 26-38 SU. Against the Western Conference, New York is 26-38 SU and 34-29-1 ATS. During the last 10 games, they averaged 107.6 PPG, above their 99.0 PPG season average. The Knicks convert their free throws at a high percentage, leading the league at .809. The Knicks average 101.5 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 109.1 points per game during that span. The New York defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 7.0 field goals from three-point range per game. Don’t expect New York to give away the ball much on offense, where its 12.5 turnovers per game ranks fifth in the league.
Denver won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over the Knicks in the last 10 games. However, the Knicks hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – NY
Notes
On average, New York puts up 99.0 points per game (ranked 25th), while Denver allows 104.5 points per game (ranked 23rd).
Denver ranks 28th in points allowed per home game (106.8 PPG), while New York ranks 24th in points per away game with 98.0.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, New York has a 17-13 record. When Denver puts up fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 3-18.
New York is a losing 9-25 when it gives up 100 or more points. Denver has a 22-20 record when it hits triple digits.
The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 106.3 (ranked 22nd), while the Knicks rank 19th for their offensive rating of 103.2.
The Denver Nuggets average a field goal percentage of 43.9% this season. The New York Knicks have a poor record of 9-24 when opponents have a FG% of 43.9% or greater.
On average, the Denver Nuggets attempt 23.0 three point field goals per game and the New York Knicks attempt 21.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, both teams have losing records; Denver is 10-17 and New York is 4-10.
The Denver Nuggets rank 16th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.57. The New York Knicks have a higher A/TO (1.60), ranking 14th.
The Denver Nuggets rebound 44.9 times per game and are ranked eighth. Ranked 15th, the New York Knicks rebound 44.0 times per game.
Denver is ranked 18th in defensive rebounds, while New York ranks 16th in offensive rebounds.
Denver has forced an average turnover percentage of 13.6% this season. New York has a poor 7-16 record when its TOV% is 13.6% or higher.
