Los Angeles Lakers Vs. New York Knicks: Predictions, Starting Lineups (2/3/24)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York knicks tips off this Saturday (2/3/24) at 8:30pm EST in New York City, NY as a home game for the Knicks. Get Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks predictions and best bets below as our best bet is on under 229.5 in what should be a sluggish offensive showing.

Los Angeles Lakers Vs. New York Knicks Prediction

The NBA can give out some head scratching outcomes and last Thursday was a prime example of that as the Lakers went on to beat the Celtics outright without star players LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Austin Reaves led the charge for the Lakers offense, shooting 7-10 from the perimeter and ending the contest with an astonishing 32 points. While Reaves dominated the headlines with his performance, it was the Lakers defense that was truly impressive as they held Jayson Tatum to 23 points and Jaylen Brown to just eight.

That same defense will need to be on display once again should they want to get another upset victory as the Knicks offense comes into the contest ranked seventh in Offensive Efficiency per TeamRankings. They are in a good position to do so as the Knicks are also dealing with injuries, currently playing without Julius Randle and potentially OG Anunoby who is listed as questionable. Should Anunoby miss this game, the Knicks facilitating abilities take a hit which stagnates their offense.

With a potential lack of facilitation, the Knicks will struggle to generate high quality shots. That is detrimental for their offense as their shooting metrics have dipped as of late. The Knicks rank 17th in Effective Field Goal Percentage by shooting 54.2% yet have dipped to 51.8% in their last three contests while dealing with injuries. Jalen Brunson can only generate so much offense himself before the Lakers sell out in coverage and dare someone else to beat them.

Speaking of the Lakers, Anthony Davis and LeBron James are both currently listed as questionable. Should one or both sit out, then the Lakers secondary scorers will need to make magic yet again which is a tough feat for them to come by. A majority of their offense comes from their ability to get high quality looks at the rim, now potentially severely lacking a slashing presence. Even if both are good to go, then their scoring pace takes a dip as they trade halfcourt sets for looks inside as well.

Los Angeles Lakers Vs. New York Knicks Prediction: Under 229.5

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Los Angeles Lakers Vs. New York Knicks Best Odds

Oddsmakers believe lightning will not strike twice for the Los Angeles Lakers as they opened them as a +5.5 underdog. Bettors are slightly in the same belief, backing the Knicks up to -6 as of writing. With so much injury uncertainty surrounding this game, the spread is a pass for now until some of the star players are confirmed to give it a go.

As for the total, oddsmakers believed points would be scored at a quick pace as they opened the number at 232. Bettors believe points will come at a drastically slower pace, betting the under down to as low as 229.5 in some shops. Some books have dipped to as low as 227.5, indicating the under will continue to take action as we lead to tipoff.

Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup

PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Taurean Prince
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis

New York Knicks Starting Lineup

PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Donte DiVincenzo
SF: Josh Hart
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Isaiah Hartenstein

Los Angeles Lakers Vs. New York Knicks Injuries

Star players dominate the injury reports as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed as questionable for the Lakers while OG Anunoby is questionable for the Knicks.

Los Angeles Lakers Vs. New York Knicks Key Matchups

Can the Lakers limit the Knicks perimeter shooting?

Lakers Perimeter Defense Vs. Knicks Three Point Shooting

After a hot start to the season, the Knicks perimeter shooting has started to cool off. They currently rank 11th in the league by shooting 37.1% from deep yet have dipped to as low as 30.3% in their last three contests.

JALEN BRUNSON 40 BALL 💸

40 PTS
15/30 FG@jalenbrunson1 (via @randyjcruz) pic.twitter.com/Sekl4Fxpfh

— Overtime (@overtime) February 2, 2024

This is in large part due to their injuries, sorely missing Anunoby’s facilitating presence as well as Julius Randle’s ability to command defensive attention. That bodes well for the Lakers who have struggled to defend the perimeter, allowing opposing offenses to shoot a blistering 37.4% from deep. Expect the Lakers to shade more towards the perimeter while anchoring a big to meet Brunson at the rim, daring someone else to beat them inside the arc with minimal success.