New York Knicks Vs. Orlando Magic NBA Player Props & Picks (12/29/23)

Ahead of the New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic matchup, we have selected our favorite NBA player props below, featuring a detailed analysis of our picks and why we are backing them.

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New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic Player Prop Picks

The players we highlight for the New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic game include Isaiah Hartenstein and Jalen Brunson. Our player props include Hartenstein to finish with seven or fewer points at -110 odds and Brunson to record six or more assists at -160 odds.

Isaiah Hartenstein Under 7.5 Points (-110)

Who amongst us loves a good sweat? Well, this bet will be the equivalent of a trip to the sauna: you might get a bit uncomfortable and want to exit, but you also know the sweat is good for you. Maybe that didn’t actually make as much sense as anticipated; however, we like this bet for several reasons.

In Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims’ absence, Isaiah Hartenstein has had to step into a starting role for the New York Knicks. Hartenstein has played well for the most part, limiting mistakes, providing hustle plays, grabbing “50-50 balls,” and pulling down rebounds. Further, he is an adequate passer and defender, too.

So, why would we fade a player who has been logging roughly between 30-40 minutes per game in his past ten games?

For one, the matchup against Orlando is horrendous. The Magic allow the fourth-fewest points to opposing centers in the NBA. Much of this can be attributed to Orlando’s ability to box out; it allows the third-fewest second-chance points to opponents at home and has the highest defensive rebounding percentage in the NBA.

Orlando is also an extremely physical team that boasts much size, length, and strength. The Magic have Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Wagner, Goga Bitadze, and Jonathan Isaac in the rotation, and all of those players are 6-foot-10 or taller.

Hartenstein’s backup in this game is 38-year-old Taj Gibson. Needless to say, he is going to be physically exhausted by the time this game is over.

Additionally, Hartenstein is simply not a scorer; he has hit the Over on this line in five of his past ten games, but Orlando does not allow second-chance opportunities (as mentioned above), which is how he gets the majority of his points. This is simply a bad matchup for him.

Jalen Brunson Alt Over 5.5 Assists (-160)

Recent comments about Jalen Brunson being unable to lead the New York Knicks to an NBA Championship due to his size have been met with both criticism from fans and undeniable play from Brunson.

Brunson has averaged close to 26 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game for New York this season on a ludicrous 48/45/81 shooting split. Considering that Brunson shoots a fair number of his three-point attempts off the dribble, his 45% mark is staggering.

Orlando has done a solid job defending the point-of-attack this year, allowing the third-fewest assists to opposing points guards, but the Magic have not played Brunson yet. Jalen has posted six or more assists in eight of his past nine games, including a game in which he dropped 50 points against the Phoenix Suns.

Brunson’s usage rate has increased by over 2% (up from 28.7% to 30.9%) in that span, indicating another small leap in on-ball reps. This trend bodes well for Brunson, even against an Orlando team that has defended most guards fairly well.

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