After both home teams won their NBA Cup Quarterfinals matchups last night, does the AI Model think the next two home teams in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals will win their matchups tonight?
Let’s find out.
Picks Summary
- Knicks -7.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
- Rockets ML (-130) at Bet365
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden
The AI Model believes the Knicks will earn an eight-point win over the Hawks in tonight’s game. Meanwhile, the Knicks are -7.5 against the spread at home. The best bet is taking the Knicks against the spread.
Can Atlanta Score Consistently?
The Atlanta Hawks have scored 113.6 points per 100 possessions. That’s about what we can expect in this game.
The Hawks have shot a 53.5% effective field goal percentage and have turned the ball over 15.5% of the time. Turnovers may be lower against the Knicks. But the shooting percentage will likely stay the same.
Beyond that, the Hawks have totaled 31.3% of offensive rebounds and a 20.5 free throw rate. These are good numbers. However, the Knicks have held teams to 26.6% offensive rebounds and have held teams to a 17.5 free throw rate. Likely, the Hawks won’t be able to have as much success in those two categories.
Great Shooting From New York
The Knicks have the best offense in the NBA. This isn’t an opinion. It’s a fact. The Knicks rank No. 1 in points per 100 possessions, scoring 123.8 points per.
The Knicks have also shot a 58.9% effective field goal percentage and have turned the ball over just 12.4% of the time.
The Hawks could increase turnovers by 16%. However, the Hawks have allowed a 56.2% effective field goal percentage on defense, which ranks 26th in the NBA.
It’s very likely the Knicks have a high effective field goal percentage tonight. That would help them get past the Hawks rather easily.
Additionally, the Hawks aren’t nearly as good on the defensive glass or limiting foul shots. The Knicks could also take advantage in those areas and earn above-average numbers.
The way to go is the Knicks at -7.5 and -110 NBA odds in this NBA Cup game.
NBA Pick: Knicks -7.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 – 09:30 PM ET at Toyota Center
Our AI Model likes the Rockets to win by two points at home against the Warriors. The best bet for this game would be backing the Rockets on the moneyline at -130.
Give Houston Some Credit!
The Houston Rockets have held opponents to 106.8 points per 100 possessions. They’ve also limited opponents to a 50.6% effective field goal percentage, which ranks second in the NBA.
Houston will foul at a higher-than-average rate. However, they’re facing a Warriors club that ranks 28th in free throw rate this season.
The Warriors have also shot an effective field goal percentage of 53.4% and have added 112.4 points per 100 possessions. These numbers rank in the bottom ten offensively despite the Warriors having Steph Curry on their side.
Therefore, Houston should get plenty of stops and play tremendous defense at home in this NBA Cup game.
Houston’s Got The Better Offense, Too!
The Houston Rockets have easily been more consistent offensively this year. They have earned 114.6 points per 100 possessions and have turned the ball over just 12.7% of the time.
The Rockets also rank No. 1 in offensive rebounding and have an above-average free throw rate.
The only below-average stat is effective field goal percentage. The Rockets have ultimately scored just a 50.5% effective field goal percentage.
Yet, they should do enough on the offensive glass and get to the foul line more to offset the poor shooting.
It’s not like the Warriors will have much more success shooting. In addition, statistically, the Warriors have been worse at getting to the foul line and aren’t earning nearly as many offensive rebounds as the Rockets.
It’s going to be a tight game. After all, the Warriors have allowed just 108.3 points per 100 possessions. It’s just more likely that the Rockets make a couple more plays to win this game outright.
Let’s side with the AI Model and take the Rockets at -130.
NBA Pick: Rockets ML (-130) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
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