Blake Daniels, April 7, 2023

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The New York Knicks look to stay hot as the regular season is coming to a close. They visit the surging New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Friday night.

New York is 47-33 SU on the season and will finish as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. They will face No.4 Cleveland in the opening round of the playoffs but still have two regular season games to complete. The Knicks are on a five-game winning streak.

New Orleans is 41-39 SU on the season and is tied with the Lakers in terms of record. However, L.A. owns the tiebreaker so the Pelicans are just 8th in the current Western Conference team standings. With two games left to play, they hope to finish higher than the Lakers to get a home-court edge in the play-in tournament game.

New York Knicks

The Knicks gun for their sixth straight win on Friday night. New York will also try to sweep their season series with the Pelicans. They are already set as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs but coach Tom Thibodeau is hoping to keep his boys sharp heading to the playoffs.

In their last game, the Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers behind 39 points from Immanuel Quickley. In that game, Quentin Grimes also scored a career-best 36 points while Obi Toppin added 32. New York scored 138 points in that game while making 52% of their shots and 39.1% of their three-pointers attempted.

RJ Barrett is listed as questionable for Friday while Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle have been ruled out of the game with injuries.

New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans assured themselves of a spot in the play-in tournament by beating the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. New Orleans can still go up the ladder if they win their last two games so this game will be more important for them than it is for the Knicks who are locked as the 5th seed already.

New Orleans recovered in overtime to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in their last game. Herbert Jones led the Pelicans with 35 points and seven rebounds while veteran guard CJ McCollum finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Trey Murphy III who made 2 big three-pointers in OT, also scored 30 points for New Orleans.

In that game, they also scored 138 points while shooting 50% from the floor and a very high 53.8% from three-point distance.

Knicks vs Pelicans SU Prediction

The Knicks are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played against the Pelicans. New York is also 3-1 SU in their last 4 games played in New Orleans.

New York Knicks SU trends:

• The Knicks are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games played.
• The Knicks are 24-16 SU in 40 road games played this season.
• The Knicks are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games played against the Western Conference.
• The Knicks are 15-3 SU in their last 18 April games.

New Orleans Pelicans SU trends:

• The Pelicans are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played.
• The Pelicans are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games played at home.
• The Pelicans are 12-17 SU in their last 29 games played against the Eastern Conference.
• The Pelicans are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games played against the Atlant

The Knicks’ playoff status is already set with still two games left to play in their regular season. The Pelicans meanwhile, clinched a play-in tournament spot but they still don’t know who they will be playing because it’s a tight race in the Western Conference.

New Orleans defeated Memphis 138-131 on Wednesday night to assure themselves of at least 9th place in the Western Conference. The Pelicans are currently in the 8th spot, tied with the L.A. Lakers at 41-39 but the Lakers own the tiebreaker. With still two games left to play, the Pelicans can still move up.

On Wednesday night, the Pelicans trailed by 19 points late in the second quarter but surged ahead in the 4th quarter but lost a six-point lead with 5 seconds left. The game went to overtime where thankfully, Trey Murphy III made two three-pointers that enabled the Pelicans to score the first 10 points of the extra period and take control of the game.

The Knicks will be the 5th seed in the East and will take on the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers. Leading scorer Julius Randle remains sidelined and will miss their remaining two regular season games with an ankle sprain. Guard Jalen Brunson sat out New York’s 138-129 win over the Indiana Pacers last Wednesday while RJ Barrett has missed the team’s last two games with an undisclosed illness.

Against Indiana, it was Sixth Man of the Year candidate Immanuel Quickley who led the Knicks with 39 points. Quentin Grimes added a career-high 36 points for New York. Obi Toppin also had a big night with 32 points while Mitchell Robinson had 14 points and 16 rebounds as the Knicks held a 52-37 advantage off the glass.

So despite New York already being set for the postseason, Friday’s game will still be important to keep the momentum going and sharpen their game for the playoffs. New Orleans though, needs it more badly and that could be the difference here.

New York has played well as of late despite missing their big stars. However, they have not played a team that is still fighting for playoff positioning during that stretch. New Orleans wants this game more than they do and the Knicks still don’t have their big guns. Give me the Pelicans to win this war of attrition.

Prediction: New Orleans Pelicans

Knicks vs Pelicans ATS Prediction

New York is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 meetings in New Orleans.

New York Knicks ATS trends:

• The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
• The Knicks are 36-15 ATS in their last 51 road games.
• The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games versus a team with a winning home record.
• The Knicks are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games following an ATS win.
• The Knicks are 26-10-1 ATS in their last 37 games following a straight-up win.
• The Knicks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Friday games.
• The Knicks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games versus a team with a winning straight-up record.
• The Knicks are 13-6-1 ATS in their last 20 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Knicks are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.

New Orleans Pelicans ATS trends:

• The Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
• The Pelicans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
• The Pelicans are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 1 day’s rest.
• The Pelicans are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Pelicans are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Pelicans are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Pelicans are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS win.
• The Pelicans are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight-up win.
• The Pelicans are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games versus a team with a winning straight-up record.
• The Pelicans are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Friday games.

The Knicks have won five straight games but remember that thee of the wins during that stretch were against the Rockets, Wizards, and Pacers. Against those teams, guys like Quickley, Grimes, and Toppin have looked good while giving the Knicks the “W”. However, the Pelicans are a different team.

New Orleans has played well too and they head to this game with eight wins in their last 10 games played. They are 3-1 in their last four games with wins over the Nuggets, Clippers, and Grizzlies during that stretch. The Pelicans need the win to try and finish higher than the 7th seed and after Wednesday’s wild win versus No. 2 Memphis, they have the momentum.

Prediction: Pelicans

Knicks vs Pelicans Over/Under Prediction

The over is 5-1 in the last six meetings between these two teams.

New York Knicks over/under trends:

• The over is 4-1 in the Knicks’ last 5 overall.
• The over is 4-1 in the Knicks’ last 5 road games.
• The over is 4-0 in the Knicks’ last 4 road games versus a team with a winning home record.
• The over is 8-1 in the Knicks’ last 9 road games versus a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600.
• The over is 6-1-1 in the Knicks’ last 8 Friday games.
• The over is 5-1 in the Knicks’ last 6 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The over is 5-1 in the Knicks’ last 6 games playing on 1 day’s rest.
• The under is 4-1 in the ‘ last 5 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
• The over is 4-1 in the Knicks’ last 5 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The over is 4-1 in the Knicks’ last 5 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The over is 4-1 in the Knicks’ last 5 games following a straight-up win.
• The over is 5-2 in the Knicks’ last 7 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The over is 7-3 in the Knicks’ last 10 games following an ATS win.
• The over is 5-1 in the Knicks’ last 6 games against the Southwest Division.

New Orleans Pelicans over/under trends:

• The under is 17-6 in the Pelicans’ last 23 overall.
• The under is 8-3 in the Pelicans’ last 11 games following an ATS win.
• The under is 16-6 in the Pelicans’ last 22 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The under is 8-3 in the Pelicans’ last 11 games following a straight-up win.
• The under is 16-5 in the Pelicans’ last 21 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The under is 16-5 in the Pelicans’ last 21 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The under is 15-5 in the Pelicans’ last 20 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The under is 9-3 in the Pelicans’ last 12 games playing on 1 day’s rest.
• The under is 4-2 in the Pelicans’ last 6 Friday games.
• The over is 5-1 in the Pelicans’ last 6 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
• The over is 4-1 in the Pelicans’ last 5 games versus a team with a winning straight-up record.
• The over is 6-2 in the Pelicans’ last 8 games played in April.

The Knicks are scoring 115.9 points per game this season, including 115 points per game on the road. They scored an average of 114 points per game in their last three games played against the Pelicans. New York plays at a slow pace and averages just 101.8 possessions per game.

New Orleans is giving up 110.1 points per game at home this season but they surrendered 120 or more in two out of their last three home games played so the Pelicans’ defense hasn’t been at its best as of late. Their offense, however, has offset that as they have scored at least 122 points in two out of their last 3 games including 138 versus Memphis the last time out.

The Pelicans play at a very fast pace and are averaging 103.2 possessions per game. With New York’s defense surrendering 118 points per game in their last 3 games played, this should help the Pelicans score tons of points on Friday night. The total has gone over in five out of the last six head-to-head meetings between these two teams. This one won’t be any different.

Prediction: Over 229.5