towns.jpg
Imagn Images

It's a matchup of title contenders on Wednesday when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks in a cross-conference NBA showdown. The reigning NBA champion Thunder (47-15) lead the Western Conference, while the Knicks (39-22) are third in the Eastern Conference after losing in the conference finals last season.       

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET in New York City. Both teams are playing on a back-to-back, but OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartenstein sat out Tuesday and should be good to go. Still, make sure to check the injury report before finalizing your wagers or selecting a same-game parlay. Oklahoma City is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Thunder vs. Knicks odds, and the over/under for total points scored is set at 221.5. The Thunder are -175 on the money line, with the Knicks +146 underdogs. 

This potential NBA Finals preview should have everybody on board and amped up to play at a high level, and the quality of the teams means plenty of solid options for player props or a same-game parlay. We've built our own three-leg same-game parlay for this cross-conference matchup, with odds from FanDuel Sportsbook and recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model. You can check out more picks and player props from Knicks vs. Thunder over at SportsLine. 

The SportsLine model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 20 on a sizzling 41-18 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Bet on Wednesday's Thunder vs. Knicks matchup at FanDuel, where new users get $100 if their first bet wins:

Thunder vs. Knicks same-game parlay picks

Knicks money line

Only eight of New York's 22 losses have come at home, and their recent victories there include triumphs over Western Conference contenders San Antonio and Houston. The Knicks are coming in hot after Jalen Brunson scored 26 and had  10 assists and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 and added 12 rebounds and six assists Tuesday night. Both teams are in the top 10 on both ends of the court, but the Knicks have the edge in rebounding. The SportsLine Projection Model has New York winning in 44% of simulations, offering value as plus-money underdogs.   

Over 221.5

The Thunder are 34-29 to the Over this season, while New York is 15-16 to the Over at home. The Over has hit in six of the past seven matchups between the teams. The Over has also hit in four of OKC's last five games, while the Knicks are 4-4 O/U in their past eight. The teams combine for 237 points per game, and while both are solid defensively, the SportsLine model projects the total to get close to 230 points. The Over hits in 59.8% of its simulations, good for a "B" grade.          

Karl-Anthony Towns Under 12.5 Rebounds

Towns had 12 rebounds in Tuesday's victory, but he has only had more than 12 boards twice in his past 10 games. He failed to crack double digits in four of those. The veteran is averaging 11.8 rebounds per game, and he could see slightly less time on the floor on a back-to-back. The SportsLine props model anticipates Towns going well below this total, projecting him for 10.8 rebounds, making the Under a 4-star play. 

Responsible gaming

All sportsbooks take responsible gaming seriously. Users have access to plenty of responsible gaming tools, like taking timeouts and setting deposit limits to game responsibly. Some sportsbooks, like DraftKings and BetMGM, have live chat support available on their platforms for immediate customer assistance while all sportsbooks provide contact information for additional resources and helplines for those requiring them.