The future is bright for the Oklahoma City Thunder but the present looks pretty spectacular too — and they’ll get another good test of their playoff credentials tonight against the rugged New York Knicks.
The Thunder are legit contenders for the No. 1 seed this season, and they climbed to 19-9 with a statement win over the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves last night behind an ultra-efficient 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The latest NBA odds make the hosts favorites here against a Knicks team that’s 9-8 on the road so far, but New York is coming off a morale-boosting 129-122 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
Dig into my free Knicks vs Thunder NBA picks for a closer look at this December 27 matchup.
Knicks vs Thunder odds
Knicks vs Thunder predictions
Jalen Brunson stole the show on Christmas Day against the Bucks, slightly overshadowing another strong outing from Julius Randle, who has an even bigger frontcourt burden now with Mitchell Robinson sidelined.
Randle will be sad to see the back of December after lighting it up this month. He’s averaged almost 27 points over his last 10 games while shooting 55% from the field and 92% from the free-throw line.
I’m predicting another big performance from Randle tonight and I’m pairing his points and rebounds props for this showdown at Paycom Center. He’s scored 20 points or more in every game in December and has tallied more than 25 points six times.
There should be more rebounds up for grabs too after Robinson’s ankle injury. Isaiah Hartenstein has stepped into the starting lineup, but Randle’s rebounding is going to be a key factor in absorbing Robinson’s workload.
The New York Knicks' physicality should be their trump card against the undersized Oklahoma City Thunder, and I see Randle pushing toward double-digit rebounds with opportunities on the offensive glass as well.
He’s had 38 rebounds over his past four contests, and now he takes on an OKC team that averages the third-fewest boards per game. With OKC on the second night of a back-to-back set, I’m backing Randle to cash in on New York’s freshness edge.
My best bet: Julius Randle Over 34.5 points + rebounds (-115 at bet365)
Knicks vs Thunder same-game parlay
Julius Randle Over 34.5 points+rebounds
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 5.5 rebounds
Knicks +3.5
With the line for Gilgeous-Alexander’s points prop jacked way up, I’m picking his work on the glass to be just as important here against a Knicks team that ranks in the Top 10 in rebounds per game.
SGA has racked up at least six boards in five of his last six contests, and he’s in line for big minutes in a mouth-watering head-to-head with Brunson.
I’m also taking the Knicks on the spread tonight, with the expectation the visitors pick up where they off against the Bucks on Monday. The Knicks have been uneven on the road this year, but they’ve won three of their last four games away from Madison Square Garden, including victories over the Phoenix Suns and L.A. Lakers.
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Knicks vs Thunder spread and Over/Under analysis
The Thunder are home favorites tonight as they go for their 20th win of the season, and they’ve been getting the job done at Paycom Center with an 11-5 record.
The against-the-spread trends are in OKC's favor too — covering 19 of its 28 games this year — though I’ve already made the case for the Knicks arriving as the fresher, more physical team. OKC has won seven of the last 10 meetings but only covered the spread in three of those contests.
These teams can put up points in a hurry and both have hit the Over in seven of their last 10 outings. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are thriving alongside SGA, while the visitors can count on Randle and R.J. Barrett next to Brunson.
Their two meetings last season were high-scoring thrillers, with the Knicks winning 129-119 in OKC and the Thunder landing a 145-135 victory at MSG. I expect more of the same here.
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Knicks vs Thunder betting trend to know
The Thunder have hit the team total Over in 29 of their last 38 games at home. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Thunder.
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Knicks vs Thunder game info
| Location: | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK |
| Date: | Wednesday, December 27, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MSG, Bally Sports Oklahoma |
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