Pro Basketball Preview: San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks Expert Picks

San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks
Tuesday, 1/4/11, 7:30 PM EDT, TV: NBATV
Opening Point Spread: San Antonio -4
Current Betting Line: San Antonio -5.5
Opening Total: 208.5
Current Total: 209

New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire averaged 32.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in three meetings with the Spurs last year while playing in Phoenix

San Antonio has an opportunity to become the first team in the league to 30 wins with a victory on Tuesday night over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Spurs have enjoyed two full days off since a 101-74 blowout victory over the Thunder, as their defense held the opposition to 33 percent shooting. The stop unit has been instrumental in leading the team in its last four victories, allowing an average of 82.3 points on 37.1 percent shooting. “I hope it’s an indication that we’re getting better at defense, because it was impressive,” said head coach Gregg Popovich. San Antonio is 9-1 versus the Eastern Conference this year, but has just a 1-1 record on the road in such games. The squad is 5-2-1 ATS as a road favorite and the NBA lines page is worth a look in this contest due to early line movement.

The Spurs are 43-33 all-time against the Knicks and have won two straight after sweeping the season-series last year. San Antonio’s 29-4 start is the best 33-game start to a season in franchise history by three wins. Many NBA experts are starting to state that the squad has a chance to finish with a 72-10 record, but no one in the organization is concerned about it. “It’s going to change to some degree,” Popovich stated. “There’s no doubt about that. We’re not going to keep this pace up for the entire year.” The team’s scoring average of 105.6 points is the highest since scoring 106.6 points a contest in the 1994-95 season.

New York is 1-9 against San Antonio since the 2005-06 campaign and bring in the league’s top-ranked offense at 107.2 points a contest. The Knicks are coming off a strong effort in picking up a 98-92 win over the Pacers, as six players scored in double figures. “This was definitely huge,” said forward Amare Stoudemire. “This was a big game for us. Indiana is right behind us as far as the playoff race.” He will play a key part in trying to pull off an underdog victory at home, averaging 32.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in three meetings with the Spurs last year as a member of the Suns. New York is 8-0 ATS versus the Western Conference.

The Knicks are 19-14 after 33 games, which is their best start to a season since they started the 2000-01 season 21-12. New York has compiled a 16-6 record over the last 22 games after starting the season 3-8. Injuries may cause the record to start heading south, especially with the loss of Danilo Gallinari for two to three weeks. He suffered a Grade 1 sprain of his left knee. “I stretched it a little bit,” he commented. “There’s nothing major, so I’ll be fine.”