Surging Lakers Seek Fourth Straight
The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are heading in opposite directions entering their Sunday night matchup in LA. The Knicks will be trying to halt a three-game slide while the Lakers will look to win their fourth in a row.
New York is also finishing up a back-to-back, so there are some factors to consider before looking at Sunday’s NBA lines.
Knicks Lack Flow without Brunson
New York’s three-game losing streak largely coincides with the absence of star point guard Jalen Brunson, although he did play in 19 minutes of one of those games before his sore foot became too much to bear. Without their floor general Saturday against the Clippers, the Knicks shot 35.6% in a 106-95 loss.
“We definitely miss having him on the floor, but we’ve got to figure it out and figure out how to get these wins,” guard RJ Barrett said of Brunson. “We will figure it out somehow, you know what I mean, try to get easier wins and stay like that.”
Keep an eye on the NBA news cycle before making your NBA picks, as Brunson is considered day-to-day. Julius Randle was just 5-for-24 from the floor in Saturday’s loss, so he is definitely missing his running mate.
New York’s NBA playoff odds might take a hit if this carries on too much longer, as the team is now just three games ahead of the top play-in spot in the East.
Los Angeles Soaring Without LeBron
If you told a Lakers fan before the season that a March game would feature LeBron James in a walking boot and Anthony Davis scoring eight points in 33 minutes, they’d likely anticipate the worst kind of outcome. Alas, that scenario resulted in a 122-112 win over Toronto on Friday, giving Los Angeles seven wins in the last nine games.
More importantly, the Lakers inched closer to the play-in teams ahead of them and now find themselves 1½ games out of the sixth seed in the West.
“That we were able to come away with this win against a really good team with only eight from (Davis), that’s a sign of growth,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “That’s a sign of how deep and talented we are.”
It helped that D’Angelo Russell returned from his six-game layoff to score 28 points while handing out nine assists. Dennis Schroder, who filled in while Russell was out, returned to the bench and had 23 points.
Los Angeles hits the road for two straight after this one but it has dramatically improved its NBA betting odds and is becoming a more trustworthy choice for those doing some online gambling.
Knicks vs Lakers Game Injuries
Knicks vs Lakers Head-to-Head
The Lakers have won five of the last seven meetings. Each of their last three wins in the series have come in overtime.
Knicks vs Lakers Game Information
- Game: Knicks (39-30) vs Lakers (33-34)
- Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- Day/Time: Sunday, March 12, 9:10 p.m. ET
- Knicks vs Lakers Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Knicks vs Lakers Betting Lines
Knicks vs Lakers Picks & Prediction
Watch for some Brunson news, but know that the Lakers may roll even if he’s in. They’re the rested team here, they’re at home and they have all the momentum. Go with the hosts.
New York is listed at +125 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Knicks, you have a chance to win $125. Los Angeles is -145, offering a chance to win $69 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives New York a 44.44% chance to win, with the Lakers at 59.18%.
Knicks vs Lakers Trends
Knicks vs Lakers Edge
Knicks vs Lakers Results
Knicks vs Lakers Game Summary
Lakers vs Knicks Previous Game (Jan, 31 2023)
The Los Angeles Lakers will not have to travel far to play the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. In their last game Monday, the Lakers played the Brooklyn Nets on the road, getting blown out 121-104, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis riding the bench.
The Knicks had also recently played the Nets, losing to their in-city rivals 122-115 on Saturday, unable to defend their 3-point shooting. It was the ninth straight loss for the Knicks against the Nets.
