The New York Knicks take on the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night in San Francisco. The game tips off at 10:00 p.m. ET at the Chase Center.
The Warriors are 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total for this game set at 229.5 points. Let’s get into my preview, prediction and pick for this Knicks at Warriors game.
Knicks at Warriors prediction, preview
The major news ahead of this Knicks-Warriors game is the absence of Jalen Brunson. Brunson hurt his ankle in last night’s game against the Kings and did not return. The severity of the injury is still unknown, but he will not be playing against the Warriors tonight. That leaves an already struggling Knicks team to turn elsewhere for its offensive production. New York has now lost six of its last eight games and needs to right the ship quickly before it starts to drop down the Eastern Conference standings. The Knicks remain in second place, but there are six teams within four games of them, waiting to pounce. Karl-Anthony Towns will need to be at his best if the Knicks are to find any offensive consistency while Brunson is out.
The Warriors currently sit in eighth place in the Western Conference. However, they have been a much different team at home compared to on the road. In San Francisco, they have a 14-6 record, but are 8-13 on the road. Despite adding Jimmy Butler and some other young pieces, this is still Steph Curry’s team. Even at 37 years old, Curry ranks tenth in the NBA in scoring, averaging over 28 points per game. This team ebbs and flows with his game. If Curry is knocking down shots, the Knicks will struggle to keep up without their own star point guard.
Knicks at Warriors pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for the Warriors to cover as 6.5-point favorites. The Knicks were already in disarray and matters should only get worse without Jalen Brunson. Deuce McBride should get the start, and while he is a defensive upgrade over Brunson, he has nowhere near the playmaking ability. The Knicks’ offense will need to run through Karl-Anthony Towns, but Towns could get very frustrated having to go up against Draymond Green. The Knicks get to head back to New York after this game, and that could be the chance for them to reset. However, for the last game of this road trip, things could get ugly. The Warriors have been great at home, while the Knicks have an 8-11 record on the road this season. Steph Curry and Golden State should simply score too much for the Brunson-less Knicks to keep up.
