Nets vs Knicks Picks and Predictions: Randle Has Rough Night On The Boards

The early results of the Kevin Durant trade look pretty good for the Brooklyn Nets, receiving good players who should help them hold on to playoff positioning down the season's final stretch.

Tonight, Brooklyn invades Madison Square Garden in a matchup with the New York Knicks in the battle for New York. BK won both games that these two teams played against one another this season, but that can't be factored into tonight, as the Nets are now devoid of Durant and Kyrie Irving. This matchup is more evenly aligned now and will make for a better game at MSG.

Find out your best options with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Nets vs. Knicks tonight.

Nets vs Knicks best odds

Nets vs Knicks picks and predictions

A huge part of Julius Randle's turnaround this season is his heightened ability to crash the boards. His 10.8 rpg are nearly an additional rebound over last season's 9.9. While the Nets don't have the biggest frontcourt, I would reconsider taking Randle for rebounds tonight.

For one, Randle averages 9.7 rebounds over his career against the Nets. His last performance saw him grab 10 rebounds, which would still come up short of the 10.5 O/U set for him tonight. Brooklyn isn't scaring anyone on the boards, but what could prevent Randle is none other than his own teammate, Josh Hart.

It's not an accident that in Hart's first game with New York, Randle grabbed his least amount of rebounds (six) in a game since December 3. Hart is an excellent rotational player and an elite rebounder at the guard position.

In just his first game with the Knicks, he made an immediate impact, grabbing four offensive rebounds. This is the type of intensity he brings to a team, but it will undoubtedly affect Randle's ability to own the boards like he has been accustomed to for most of the season.

Inserting Hart into the lineup changes the philosophy of the offense, certainly from a rebounding perspective. Teammates often defer to Randle in that department, but that won't be the case for Hart. I'm not feeling good about Randle's chances tonight.

My best bet: Julius Randle Under 10.5 rebounds (-146)

Nets vs Knicks spread analysis

The dust has settled from the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant fiasco, and it doesn't look so bad for Brooklyn. In five games since Irving's departure it is only only 2-3, but the effort is easy to see, and it now has several young players with real potential. The Knicks cannot overlook this game, or they'll get handed a loss.

Historically, R.J. Barrett has performed poorly against Mikal Bridges. In seven games between the two, Bridges is 7-0, forcing Barrett into some bad performances. Over those seven games, Barrett has only mustered up 14.1 points per game, which is 3.9 points lower than his career average.

This will be a critical matchup tonight, and Bridges' defensive ability will make it very difficult for the Knicks' starting small forward to impact the game.

Another intriguing matchup to watch tonight is Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie. Who will get the better of whom tonight? Both guards have been playing excellent basketball of late. It's clear that Brunson is good, but of late, he's been stellar.

Brunson had the highest catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage in the NBA over the last 15 games (minimum of 25 attempts). Having Hart on the roster will help slow down Dinwiddie, who can get hot in a hurry.

Tonight, the Knicks are favored by 2.5 points on most sportsbooks. The Nets have a lot of new faces on the team, and they are learning to play with one another. That will take time, and the Knicks should be able to capitalize.

Nets vs Knicks Over/Under analysis

The Over/Under for tonight is set at 220.5 across most sportsbooks. With Brooklyn bringing in so many new faces, it takes time to determine how it will show up on a night-to-night basis.

The Over has hit three out of the last five games since Irving was traded. However, in the first game with the recently acquired players from the Phoenix Suns, the Nets scored less than 100 points.

Any team with a lineup of guys such as Mikal Bridges, Ben Simmons, and Nic Claxton may not scare anyone offensively. Still, they create many problems on the other side of the ball with their versatility and ability to defend multiple positions.

Their length and ability to switch onto different defenders will be tough on the Knicks, who typically don't pass the ball well (22.5 assists per game ranks second lowest in the NBA). New York, like it always does, will try to score a lot in isolation. I anticipate this game being low-scoring and going down to the wire.

Nets vs Knicks betting trend to know

Under is 12-4 in Knicks last 16 Monday games. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Knicks.

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