Clippers vs Knicks Picks and Predictions: PG Snaps Out of Funk

The New York Knicks have to feel good about themselves at the moment. They won a big game against the Miami Heat on Thursday night, with RJ Barrett playing well and silencing the noise about his recent benching. Tonight, he will have to apply himself more defensively if New York is going to win.

For the Los Angeles Clippers, it'll be business as usual. Expect Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to take the lion's share of shots and anchor the defensive efforts in a game they'll want to win after falling to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Find out your best bets with our free NBA picks and predictions for the Knicks vs. Clippers on Saturday, February 4.

Clippers vs Knicks best odds

Clippers vs Knicks picks and predictions

It's been a relatively slow year for the Los Angeles Clippers, yet they are only two games out of a Top-3 seed in the West. That’s mainly due to the well-rounded game of Paul George, who just notched his eighth All-Star appearance. George is coming off two subpar games where he didn't score more than 16 points, but he’ll be primed for a big game tonight against the New York Knicks’ struggling defense.

If Kawhi Leonard plays tonight, he will likely be followed by Quentin Grimes for most of the night. That leaves George in a position to go head-to-head with RJ Barrett. To date, Barrett's defense has been anything but good. While he possesses the size and strength to become a solid defender, he has way too many mental lapses to be consistent right now. On the season, Barrett has the lowest defensive rating on the entire Knicks roster (116.9).

I love the advantage George has in this head-to-head. New York also likes to run a three-guard unit of Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickly, and Grimes for portions of the game. I don't know how they'll manage that tonight against the 6' 8’ George, who will make them pay if they often trot out small wing lineups.

During the season, the Knicks have struggled against the small forward position. With 23.7 points per game, New York surrenders the second-most points per game to the position. George is still one of the best in the business at the position and can score at all three levels.

The Clippers are coming off of a game where Leonard took 10 more shots than George in a bad loss. I'd expect a more balanced attack and shot attempts between the two this time, especially given who will be defending.

My best bet: Paul George Over 22.5 points (-104)

Clippers vs Knicks spread analysis

For today's game, you can find a spread between -2.5 and -3.5 in favor of the Clippers. Most sportsbooks currently have the odds at -2.5.

This number feels fair, as the Clippers are the better team, particularly with Leonard back in the fold. The Clippers have gone 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games, while the Knicks are 4-6.

The Clippers' ATS record can't be looked at without context. Leonard, the star and presumed best player on the team, has missed 26 games this season and is continuing to find his rhythm after several years of injuries stunting his career. For the Knicks? Getting Brunson back in the fold will be critically important. He's the engine of their offense and is easily their best player during the stretch run of games.

The Clippers will look to overpower the Knicks with Leonard and George, who will be a handful for Barrett and Grimes to contain. How the Clippers defend Julius Randle tonight will also be critical. Los Angeles just let Giannis Antetokounmpo score a blistering 54 points Thursday night. Randle is no Antetokounmpo, but he is among the better blunt-force forwards in today's NBA and can take over a game on any night. Marcus Morris is undersized and will be in trouble trying to slow the physical Randle down.

The magic number for the Knicks tonight is 110.5. That's how many points the Clippers average per game. New York has managed a 20-0-1 ATS record when holding opponents to 110.5 points or less this season.

Clippers vs Knicks Over/Under analysis

Tonight's Over/Under is currently sitting between 222 and 223.5. While that number is reasonable, the Under has to be considered.

Los Angeles has a 23-32 Over/Under record, the lowest in the entire NBA this season. It’s done better of late, hitting the Over in six of its last 10 games, but still fell short in its most recent games against the Bucks and Bulls.

The Clippers are still a Bottom-3 team in points per game (110.5), and while the Knicks are better(114.3), they may find it hard tonight to get their offense flowing against an L.A. team with several good perimeter defenders.

The Knicks will likely struggle to score against this Top-10 Clippers defensive unit tonight. I expect a close game but a low-scoring affair, as both teams are in the Bottom 10 in pace

Clippers vs Knicks betting trend to know

Clippers are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Knicks.

Clippers vs Knicks game info

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