The New York Knicks will look to avoid a third consecutive loss and push their record to .500 when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. The Knicks (3-4) lost their final two games on a recent four-game road trip.
Karl-Anthony Towns has performed well on the offensive end in his first seven games with New York, but star point guard Jalen Brunson has been erratic and inconsistent. There are also defensive concerns in the interior. The new-look Knicks obviously need time to mesh as a unit.
Milwaukee was off to a rougher start to the season before a win Thursday night over the Jazz. The Bucks were able to snap a six-game losing streak with the victory. Now they will come into Madison Square Garden on the second night of back-to-back games.
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Best same game parlay Bucks vs. Knicks
Parlay Odds: +950 ($100 bet wins $950.00)
Bucks vs. Knicks same game parlay Leg 1
Bucks +7.5: -112 at DraftKings Sportsbook
The spread is simply too large here, as the Knicks have not found their collective stride enough to decisively beat a team that still features Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Milwaukee’s recent losing skid is triggering a good value play on the spread to anchor this parlay.
New York certainly can bounce back and avoid a third consecutive loss, as the team should ultimately prove to be better than its record. The Bucks are certainly better than what the early losing run indicated, though, and will cover the spread. Their two stop standouts combined for 65 points against Utah, signaling that the madness of a 1-6 start had to end.
Lillard should be a major factor in keeping Milwaukee in the game. He is sixth in the NBA in scoring at 28.4 points per game. He has scored 33-plus points in four of his past five games. Antetokounmpo returned from an abductor injury Thursday and finished with 16 rebounds.
The Knicks have won all three of their games by nine-plus points, but they need to focus on tighter overall defense. Brunson must stabilize the offensive flow. He only had four assists in New York’s loss at Atlanta on Wednesday. Over the past two games, Brunson has missed 25 of 42 shots from the field.
Bucks vs. Knicks same game parlay Leg 2
Under 223 points: -110 at DraftKings
The Knicks play at the slowest pace in the NBA. Milwaukee is a top-10 team in terms of pace, but New York has failed to surpass the projected total with its opponents in three of the past five games.
Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez ranks fifth in the NBA in blocked shots per game, at a 2.3-per-game clip. Outside of Towns, the Knicks don’t have anyone who consistently may challenge him inside, and the New York big man may also attempt to draw him outside.
Brunson may be able to penetrate more successfully if Towns can lure Lopez away from the hoop often, but he has yet to fully find his offensive form of last season. Other than Antetokounmpo and Lillard, Bobby Portis is the only other Milwaukee player who averages double figures in points.
Bucks vs. Knicks same game parlay Leg 3
Karl-Anthony Towns over 25 points: +125 at DraftKings Sportsbook
The newest Knicks pivot is the one constant for his team so far this season, providing consistent offensive output throughout his first eight games as a Knickerbocker. The Edison, New Jersey, native has been an all-around force on offense, driving to the basket, popping from outside and functioning as a prime presence on the inside.
Towns is coming off a 34-point outing at Atlanta, and he has scored 30-plus points in two of his last four games. Milwaukee has been tough against opposing centers this season (17.3 points per game allowed, per FantasyPros). Towns, however, boasts a unique skill set that will challenge the Bucks in a different way than they have seen this season. Few big men can gun from deep like Towns.
Going with Towns here may seem a bit risky based on the matchup, but the Knicks need him to come through with another high-quality offensive outing to offset Antetokounmpo and Lillard. I won’t expect a 30-plus point night, but 25 is certainly attainable. If Brunson can penetrate and threaten in the paint frequently enough, Towns will be freed up more to exhibit his versatility. Lopez will have to protect the rim and try to follow Towns outside, too.
