The Oklahoma City Thunder (48-15) and New York Knicks (40-22) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Thunder are 4.5-point favorites over the Knicks on the spread (Thunder -4.5), with the over/under set at 222 total points. Oklahoma City is a -170 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while New York is +145 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Thunder vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, March 4.
Thunder vs Knicks Prediction, Picks
- Thunder vs Knicks pick: Knicks Moneyline (+145)
My Knicks vs. Thunder best bet is on New York to pull off the moneyline upset at +145. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Thunder vs Knicks Odds
| Thunder Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -105 | 222 -110o / -110u | -170 |
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -115 | 222 -110o / -110u | +145 |
Thunder vs Knicks NBA Preview
The Thunder boast the NBA's best record after weathering the storm brought on by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's nine-game absence last month.
Oklahoma City went 5-4 without the reigning MVP while he recovered from an abdominal strain, and it's not surprising that its dynamic offense took a big blow with him sidelined.
The Thunder are tied for third in points per game with a mark of 119.1, but scored just 113.1 points per contest during the nine-game stretch when SGA wasn't available.
That would place them among the league's bottom-10 scoring offenses.
SGA has since returned to the fray and helped lead Oklahoma City to wins over the Nuggets and Mavericks while averaging 33.0 points across two outings. He then took a day off to rest during OKC's win over the Bulls.
If he's active, he'll likely continue taking on a heavy offensive workload against the Knicks — especially with one of his most important running mates recovering from an injury of his own.
Jalen Williams is set to miss his ninth consecutive game with a lingering right hamstring injury on Wednesday and has appeared in just 26 contests this season.
Bettors should expect Thunder role players to keep filling in the gaps, as SGA and Chet Holmgren will need plenty of support against one of the Eastern Conference's better contenders.
New York isn't as dynamic as OKC on offense, but it has no shortage of options with Jalen Brunson (26.7), Karl-Anthony Towns (19.8), OG Anunoby (16.1), and Mikal Bridges (15.6) averaging more than 15.0 points per game.
However, the Knicks' defense has been their greatest strength recently.
The Knicks have held the Bucks, Spurs, and Raptors under 100 points during their current three-game winning streak.
Their ability to limit second-chance opportunities by crashing the glass and limiting opposing teams' offensive rebounding opportunities could prove to be a problem for the Thunder in this matchup.
SGA (abdominal strain) and Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) are listed as day-to-day for OKC. Miles McBride (core muscle surgery) is out for New York.
Thunder vs Knicks Predictions, Betting Analysis
I like the Knicks to win outright in this contest.
New York has held opponents to just 103.1 points per game since the All-Star break. Only the Celtics (96.1) can top that mark.
Coupling that with the fact that the Knicks have held a pair of top-10 scoring offenses under 100 points in the last week makes this number enticing.
SGA and Hartenstein are dealing with minor injuries, and it'll likely be difficult for the visitors to come out on top on the road against a hot team down if they end up missing multiple starters.
Take the Knicks to snap the Thunder's four-game winning streak against them.
Pick: Knicks Moneyline (+145)
Spread
I'm targeting the Knicks moneyline instead of taking the points with the spread in this spot.
Moneyline
My Thunder vs. Knicks betting prediction is on New York moneyline at +145.
Over/Under
No play on the total in tonight's matchup.
