The Oklahoma City Thunder will be hoping to snap a five-game losing skid when they take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden tonight. The Knicks have lost 12 of their last 15 games, so it’s not a foregone conclusion that Tom Thibodeau’s team will get in the win column.
Does Oklahoma City have what it takes to hang around on the road? Keep reading our NBA betting picks and predictions for Thunder vs. Knicks for an idea.
Thunder vs Knicks odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Thunder were getting 8.5 points in this road game in New York City, but the line has quickly gone down to 8 on nearly every sportsbook. The total, meanwhile, opened at 206.5 and has mostly stayed the same, but there are a few books with the number at 206.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Thunder vs Knicks predictions
Predictions made on 2/14/2022 at 11:15 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Thunder vs Knicks game info
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Date: Monday, February 14, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: BSN, MSG
Thunder vs Knicks betting preview
Key injuries
Thunder: Luguentz Dort SG (Out), Mike Muscala PF (Out), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl PF (Out), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG (Out).
Knicks: RJ Barrett SF (Questionable), Mitchell Robinson C (Questionable), Nerlens Noel C (Questionable), Derrick Rose PG (Out), Solomon Hill SF (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Thunder are 19-7 against the spread in their last 26 games as road underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Knicks.
Thunder vs Knicks picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
While Oklahoma City hasn’t been winning games lately, the Thunder are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11. This is a very competitive basketball team and there’s more talent on this roster than you might think. Oklahoma City is also especially solid in the backcourt, even without Gilgeous-Alexander. Josh Giddey is having an amazing rookie campaign for the Thunder, and he’s joined by rock-solid contributors like Tre Mann and Ty Jerome. Considering New York is weak at guard, those OKC players can all give the Thunder a huge advantage here.
The Thunder also have guys like Darius Bazley and Kenrich Williams in the frontcourt and both are capable of impacting this game. Bazley isn’t the most efficient player in the world, but he has a lot of guard skills at the power forward spot. That makes him tough to guard and it wouldn’t be surprising if he played well here, especially if Julius Randle isn’t engaged on the defensive end — the Knicks forward has had a miserable season in all facets of the game. Meanwhile, Williams is a tremendous two-way bench player, as he comes in and makes an impact with his hustle on both ends. He should be able to lock somebody up on the wing while also contributing on offense and not needing the ball in his hands very often.
Barrett’s presence could help New York’s struggling offense if he ends up playing. However, Williams Williams is capable of taking on this assignment and holding his own even with Lu Dort sidelined.
Overall, this is just way too many points to be giving to a feisty Thunder team. The Knicks aren’t a good basketball team and it’s hard to see a path to them winning this game convincingly.
Prediction: Thunder +8.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
When these teams played one another on December 31, the Thunder earned a 95-80 victory in a game with a total of 207. And while this one shouldn’t be that low-scoring, you should expect another Under when these two take the floor at the Garden. Both teams rank within the Top 15 in defensive rating this season, and the Knicks are 29th in the NBA in pace. The Thunder play a bit faster than the Knicks, as Oklahoma City is 16th in the league in pace. However, that’s not a significant enough number to imagine the tempo in this game being very quick.
The Under is 8-2-1 in the last games in which Oklahoma City is coming off of a straight-up loss. It’s also 9-4-1 in the Thunder’s last 14 games overall, and 12-1 in the last 13 games in which the Knicks have faced a team with a winning percentage below 40%. If that’s not enough, the Under is also 25-13 when New York is coming off a road loss since the start of last season.
Prediction: Under 206 (-109)
Best bet
Under head coach Mark Daigneault this season, the Thunder are 24-11 ATS when facing teams that allow 108 or fewer points per game, and they’re also 14-3 ATS in road games against teams that score 108 or fewer points per game. The Knicks fall under both of those trends, making this a prime spot to back Oklahoma City.
While New York might have some more reliable veterans, the Thunder actually have the more talented youngsters. They also do more of what their coach asks of them than the Knicks do right now.
It’s just hard to see a scenario in which the Thunder don’t keep this game close, and it honestly wouldn’t be all that surprising if Oklahoma City found a way to win outright — but if you’re looking to bet them on the money line, don’t put more than 0.25 units on it.
Pick: Thunder +8.5 (-110)
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