NBA Picks, Best Bets Monday

On By Littum

As expected, the Wizards have been one of the Eastern Conference’s bottom dwellers so far in the 2024-25 regular season, posting just a 2-9 record while losing seven straight games.

Of their nine losses, only one (a nine-point loss) has come by fewer than 10 points. Yikes.

Not surprisingly, Washington’s 3-8 record against the spread was second-worst in the NBA as of Sunday, trailing only the Sixers, who have significantly underperformed expectations.

The Wizards also had the worst net rating (-11.9) over the long haul.

But even more surprising is the Knicks’ slow start to their 2024-25 campaign; they enter Monday’s tilt 7-6 after back-to-back wins over the Nets.

Knicks vs. Wizards odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Knicks -14.5 (-112) -1050 o233.5 (-112)
Wizards +14.5 (-108) +675 u233.5 (-108)
Odds via DraftKings

Interestingly, the problems for the Knicks have come on the defensive end of the floor, where they had the 10th-worst defensive rating, allowing opponents to post the seventh-highest effective field goal percentage against it.

Still, assuming Miles McBride (illness) and Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) are good to go for the second night of a home-home back-to-back for the Knicks, we’ll roll with them against the spread.


The Wizards are possibly one of the worst teams in the NBA again.
The Wizards are possibly one of the worst teams in the NBA again. AP

The Knicks’ offensive attack is simply too potent (fourth in offensive rating), and Washington won’t find much success offensively because of the Knicks’ defensive length and shiftiness.

The massive difference in 3-point shooting also creates significant questions about how Washington could possibly keep this game competitive, especially since it won’t score in transition as the Knicks rank seventh in opponent fast-break points per game. match.

Bet on the NBA?

This is a bad matchup for the Wizards.

Their half-court offense has no chance of generating enough points to stay within double digits of the Knicks.

THE PICK: Knicks -14.5 (-112, DraftKings)

Why Trust New York Post Bets

Andrew Norton disabled NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he posted an outstanding ROI of 14.1%, cashed in 60% of his NBA spread picks and led Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.