Knicks vs Lakers Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Sunday, March 12th

Check out our free Knicks vs Lakers pick and preview for this NBA game in Los Angeles. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Knicks vs Lakers NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers
Where: Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena
Date: Sunday, March 12th
Betting Odds LAL -2, NY +107 | LAL -129 O/U OFF

The Knicks come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 39-30. So far, the team has gone 38-30-1 against the spread. New York will take the court having lost 3 straight games. The team has an average scoring margin of -7.67 in these matchups.

Not only did the Knicks drop their last game to the Clippers. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 106-95 as 5 point underdogs. New York missed out on an opportunity to add a win to their resume, as they held a 2 point lead going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Immanuel Quickley, as he contributed 26 points while hitting 44.4% of his shots.

So far, the Lakers have put together an overall record of 33-34, while going 33-31-3 vs the spread. Los Angeles comes into the game having rattled off 3 straight wins. In these victories, the team has an average scoring margin of 9.0 points per game

Los Angeles is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Raptors at home. With the 122-112 victory, they also covered the spread as 2 point underdogs. Los Angeles went on to win the game, as they led by 8 heading into halftime. In the win, D’Angelo Russell led the team in scoring with 28 points on a field goal percentage of 58.8%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Lakers picked up the win 129-123 win over the Knicks. Heading into the game, Los Angeles was the 2.0 point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. Similar to their season-long average, the Knicks averaged 110.5 points per game vs the Lakers. Just like the Knicks, the Lakers maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 111.0 points per game vs New York. The level of competition has been tight in the 5 most recent games between Knicks and Lakers with just 1 points per game separating the teams. New York has the ATS edge in this span at 3-2. In these matchups, the teams have put together an over-under mark of 3-2. Combined, they averaged 219 points in these games.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Knicks come into today’s game as the 14th ranked scoring offense at 115.0 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Knicks are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.6 per contest. Right now, the Knicks offense is in search of answers, as not only do they tend to play at a slow pace, but they are just 22nd in effective field goal percentage.

Defensively, the Knicks are one of the top performing units in the league, giving up 106.6 points per contest (6th).

Before getting a bet down on this matchup, be sure to check in on the health status of Jalen Brunson who is 2nd on the team in scoring at 23.8 points per game. At the time of this article, Brunson is listed as questionable. For the season, he is 4th on the team in usage rate and is 41st in the NBA in player efficiency rating. If he is able to play, New York benefit from having both of their top scorers as Julius Randle leads the team and is 20th in the league in scoring (25.1). For today’s matchup, he will going against a defense ranked 15th in points allowed to power-fowards.

Los Angeles will look to continue with their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 116.7 points per game (8th). So far, Los Angeles is averaging 102.4 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. Not only is the team ranked near the top of the leauge in possessions, but this fast-paced style has translated to an increased number of made shots, as they are 7th in the league in made field goals per game.

Defensively, Los Angeles has had its problems giving up an average of 115.15 points per game (28th).

Los Angeles will be counting Anthony Davis to put together a strong scoring performance vs the New York, as LeBron James has been ruled out for today’s game. So far, James leads the team in scoring at 29.5 points per game. Davis is 2nd on the team at 26.1 points per contest, which sits 16.0th in the NBA. In his 42 games, he has hit 56.3% of his field goal attempts, and is grabbing 12.4 rebounds per game.