Phoenix Suns vs New York Knicks 01/16/20 NBA Betting Odds and Preview

The Phoenix Suns travel to the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks at the Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.

The Suns are coming off a loss to the Atlanta Hawks as they opened a three-game road trip. The suns are 16-24 on the year which is better than their 19-win season in 2018-19. But that’s not the goal. Making the postseason is as the Suns are just 2.5 games off the playoff pace in the West. The Knicks are having another disaster season and although they are playing better under their new head coach, the Knicks are in their worst stretch under the new administration with six losses in their last seven assignments.

Get Back on Track

The Phoenix Suns saw their two-game winning streak end against the NBA’s worst team in the Atlanta Hawks. Phoenix is currently in 11th place in the Western Conference and they are 2.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the West. Phoenix hopes to get back on track on Thursday when they visit the Knicks.

Devin Booker leads the Suns with 26.1 points and 6.4 assists per game. Kelly Oubre Jr. is averaging 18.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while Ricky Rubio leads the team with 9.3 assists per game while also scoring 13.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. DeAndre Ayton is contributing 15.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

Phoenix is 10th in the league in scoring at 113.2 points per game this season and they are 24th in scoring defense at 114.3 points per game allowed. The Suns are also ranked 24th off the glass with an average of 43.5 rebounds per contest but are second in passing at 27.6 assists per game.

Worst Stretch Under Miller

The Knicks have found some success with Mike Miller calling the shots. New York is 7-12 SU under their new bench tactician but right now, they are in the worst stretch under Miller with six losses in their last seven games, including a 26-point blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in their last outing.

Marcus Morris Sr. leads the Knicks in scoring at 19.1 points per game while also grabbing 5.5 rebounds per contest. Rookie R.J. Barrett is having a fine first season with 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while Julius Randle is putting up 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

New York ranks 27th in the league in scoring at 104.8 points per game this season. They are 9th overall in rebounding at 46.1 boards grabbed per contest and they are next to last in passing at 21.2 assists per game. The Knicks are 20th in scoring defense at 113.2 points per game allowed.

Who Wins?

Phoenix is 5-12 SU in their last 17 games played. The Suns are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games played on the road, and 4-2 SU in their last six games played against the Eastern Conference. New York is 1-6 SU in their last seven games played. The Knicks are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games played at home. Head to head, the Suns are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played against the Knicks.

The Knicks have lost six out of their last seven games and are coming off a blowout loss to the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks. They are, however, 7-12 under Mike Miller who took over after the firing of David Fizdale. Marcus Morris Sr., Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina are out due to injuries.

Phoenix missed Ricky Rubio in their last outing due to personal reasons but he is expected to return on Thursday. Devin Booker is averaging over 30 points per game in his last seven games played and he is going to be a handful for the Knicks in this contest. Booker scored 38 points in the last two meetings between these teams last January 3rd.

The Suns have won the last three meetings between these two teams. After losing to the worst team in the league, expect the Suns to bounce back and get back in the playoff hunt with a big effort at their home floor. With Rubio back, the offense should be able to outscore the injury-riddled Knicks and win the game for Phoenix.

Prediction: Phoenix Suns

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Other Bets to Make

The Suns are 0-5 ATS in their last five games played. Phoenix is 2-3 ATS in their last five games played at home. The Knicks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games played. New York is 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games played against the Pacific Division, and 9-10 ATS in their 19 home games played this season. Head to head, the Suns are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Knicks. Phoenix is also 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games against the Knicks.

Both teams are out of playoff position right now but while the Suns are within striking distance, the Knicks are far off the pace in the East. The Knicks are missing players due to injuries and they have not shot the ball well this season. Without the two, they have played inconsistent basketball since the start of the year and may be headed to the lottery again. Phoenix is without Rubio but with Booker running the show, they have the better offense here. I like the Suns to pick up this road win over the Knicks.

Prediction: Suns -3.5

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The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by the Suns. The under is 6-3 in Phoenix’s last nine games played against the Atlantic Division. The total has gone over in five out of the last seven games played by the Knicks. New York has seen the total go under in 12 out of their 19 home games played this season. Head to head, the total has gone over in five out of the last eight games played by the Suns and Knicks.

The over is 4-1 in New York’s last five games against the Western Conference. The total has gone over in five out of the last seven games played by the Knicks in January. New York is missing Marcus Morris Sr. but they have been able to put up an average of 110.4 points per game in their last four games played. The Suns are 10th in the league in scoring and they have the 7th worst scoring defense in the league this season. I like these teams to hit the over in this game.

Prediction: Over 225.5

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