New York Knicks AT Houston Rockets
January 19, 2011 at 8:30 PM EST
Opening Line: Houston -3
Current Line: Houston -2.5
Opening Total: 218
Current Total: 223
Opening Moneyline: Houston -140 / NY +120
Current Moneyline: Houston -135 / NY +115
New York, for as well as they have played, have let things slip of late and have dropped their last three games. They still sit comfortably in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and are a near lock to make the playoffs if they at least continue to play decent ball, but All-Star forward Amar’e Stoudemire is not satisfied. “We know that four games over .500 is unacceptable,” Amare said following Monday’s 129-121 loss to Phoenix. “So now we have to fight to get back to where we rightfully belong.”
That night, against the Suns, the Knicks turned the ball over an unacceptable 25 times, and despite Amar’e’s 41 points, they recorded their third consecutive loss. Things wont get any easier for the Knicks as they face a tough stretch in the schedule that features games against Western Conference leading San Antonio and contending Oklahoma City. So getting a victory tonight could prove crucial from both a confidence standpoint and with regards to the standings.
Some betting trends:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York’s past 6 games and they are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games. They are 10-5 SU in their last 15 on the road and 2-5 SU in their last 7 on the road. The total has gone UNDER In 4 of their last 5 against the Rockets and they are 1-11 SU in their last 12 against Houston. Tehy are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 against the Rockets and the total has gone UNDER in 6 of their last 9 road games in Houston. They are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games against the Rockets.
The total has gone OVER In 4 of Houston’s last 5. They are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games and the total has gone OVER in 5 of their last 7 home games. They are 1-4 SU in their last 5 home games and 10-5 SU in their last 15 at home. They are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 home games and the total has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 5 against the Knicks.
Key Matchups:
Amar’e Stoudemire vs Luis Scola
Amar’e is obviously significantly more explosive and athletic than Scola, but that doesn’t mean the 6’10” Argentine will lay down a red carpet for the Knicks’ forward. Scola has almost impercetably had one of the best seasons of all the forwards in the Western Conference, posting greater than 20 points and 9 rebounds a night. Amar’e is second in the league in scoring and will get his, but stopping Scola could prove to be crucial as he is the second leading scorer on the Rockets and is crucial to their attack in all ways. Amar’e isn’t known for being a great defender so if Scola can do anything near matching Amar’e’s point total, Houston will have a good chance at winning this game. Last meeting between the teams on November 14th, Scola did just that, scoring 24 and allowing Amar’e only 25…and the result was a Rockets win, so keep an eye on this matchup.
Raymond Felton vs Aaron Brooks & Kyle Lowry
Felton has size. Brooks and Lowry have speed and quickness. We’ll see which wins out. Last matchup, Brooks was injured, leaving Lowry the sole duty of covering Felton, but since Brooks’ return there has been a time share at point guard for the Rockets. Felton had a ho-hum 15 point 5 assist game in the teams’ last meeting and Lowry had a typical game for himself too, with 7 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds. Felton has had a rough couple games scoring the ball, managing just 13 points combined for his last two games, but this is just the kind of matchup he needs to overcome those difficulties. Both teams’ point guards will push the pace and tonight’s score should be rather high as indicated by NBA Oddsmakers setting the total at 218 to open betting.
