All eyes are on Chase Center in San Francisco for tonight's game between the Knicks and Warriors.
New York (42-23) has not been the same team since Jalen Brunson's ankle injury in last week's overtime loss to the Lakers. The Knicks did, however, win the two most recent games of their ongoing West Coast road trip without their star point guard.
With a 6-5 record in 11 games post-All Star Weekend (including 2-3 in their last five), Tom Thibodeau's Knicks have been in a bit of a rut that began before Brunson's unfortunate injury. Despite the difficult recent stretch, New York has a five-game lead on 4-seed Indiana in the East as it looks to secure the 3-seed for the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
The Warriors (38-28), on the other hand, have been playing as well as any team in the league since they acquired Jimmy Butler in early February. Since his Golden State debut on Feb. 8, this team is 13-2 overall, and one of those losses came with Butler inactive.
Golden State is 9-1 in its last 10 games, including 5-0 in its last five.
Knicks vs. Warriors Odds: Spread, ML, Total
DK FD bet365
NYK spread +7 (-108) +7 (-106) +7 (-110)
GSW spread -7 (-112) -7 (-114) -7 (-110)
NYK ML +225 +225 +230
GSW ML -278 -275 -280
Total 228.5 (o-112; u-108) 228.5 (o-108; u-112) 228.5 (o-110; u-110)
Best Player Prop Bets for Knicks vs. Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga o14.5 points (-115 at DraftKings) -- 1 unit
There's a ton of value on Kuminga having a big night, albeit in just his second game back in the lineup after a two-month absence due to a right ankle sprain.
Kuminga played for the first time since January 4 in his team's 130-104 win over Sacramento on Thursday and was extremely productive in limited minutes. He managed to score 18 points in just 20 minutes of action, and he did so while going 0-for-1 from 3-point land and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line.
In a great role on a team that is on fire right now -- GSW has scored at least 119 points in nine of its last 11 games, and its effective field goal percentage was over 65 in each of its last two games -- Kuminga should get plenty of great looks tonight.
The Warriors' recent point totals tell you pretty much all you need to know about the level this offense is operating at. Their assist rate (the percentage of a team's made baskets that are assisted) over the last week has been even more staggering, though.
Golden State, which is leading the league in this stat at 71.3 percent on the year (per NBA.com), has assisted at least 70 percent of its made baskets in five of the last six games. And it recorded an assist rate of 69.8 in the one game when it "fell short." Ironically, the opponent in that one was none other than the Knicks back on March 4.
What we're saying is that the looks this team is getting right now are outstanding. Kuminga should be a huge beneficiary, even while shaking off rust from the lengthy layoff, especially given the absence tonight of Brandin Podziemski (back). With Podziemski out of the mix, the case for more minutes -- and points -- for Kuminga is that much stronger.
Kuminga -- who is averaging nearly 17 points per game on the season -- might need a few more days to fully reintegrate into the lineup and start consistently reaching his season-long minutes average of 26 per game.
Still, he's a good bet to get to 15 points tonight.
Jimmy Butler o6.5 assists (+110 at DraftKings) -- 1 unit
At this point, we've made it clear what a well-oiled machine the Warriors offense is right now.
Butler has been a huge reason why. He has piled up 17 dimes in his last two games, and that includes seven in just 28 minutes in his last game (GSW's big win over the Kings on Thursday).
He only recorded four assists when Golden State and New York met at MSG on March 4, but he's averaging exactly seven per game over his last four.
He should continue to thrive as a passer as long as rookie big man Quinten Post (the 7-footer is shooting nearly 42 percent from downtown) keeps providing valuable shooting as a stretch 5, while Kuminga's return gives this team yet another strong cutter and finisher.
At minus-money, Butler to get to seven assists would be squarely in "take it or leave it" territory, but this is awfully tempting at +110.
Knicks vs. Warriors Prediction, Best Bets
The Knicks are a tempting bet to keep this game close. After all, going into the fourth quarter of the March 4 matchup between these two, they were down just 82-81 despite being without Karl-Anthony Towns.
But even though the Knicks have gone 2-1 without Brunson the last week, I don't think this version of them can keep pace with the Warriors for 48 minutes at Chase Center.
The undermanned Lakers showed us last night in Denver that it can be dangerous to rule out shorthanded underdogs on the road (L.A. was tied with Denver in the final seconds as a 15.5-point dog before losing 131-126).
That being said, I still expect the Warriors to cover the number tonight at home, even if they struggle to pull away until late.
Golden State, which won 114-102 at Madison Square Garden despite shooting under 40 percent from the field in the first half of that one, should shoot the ball much better from start to finish tonight, making their team total another play worth considering.
Knicks vs. Warriors Best Bet
Warriors -7 (-110 at bet365) -- 1 unit
Warriors Team Total Over 117.5 (-115 at DraftKings) -- 0.5 units
Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
Related Articles
BetMGM Bonus Code NEWSWEEK1500: Claim $1,500 First Bet Promo for College Hoops
How Many Points Did Lakers' Bronny James Score in Loss to Nuggets?
Nuggets Injury Report: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray Status Revealed vs Lakers
How to Watch Lakers vs Nuggets: Live Stream NBA, TV Channel
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 8:19 AM.