Knicks vs. Nets Prediction and Odds for January 21: The Battle for NY Rages On

The New York Knicks (28-16) will head south to downtown Brooklyn for an in-state matchup with the Brooklyn Net (14-29) on Tuesday evening.

The Knicks took down the Atlanta Hawks 119-110 on Monday but haven’t won back-to-back games since New Year’s Day. They beat the Nets twice in two days, both at home, on No. 15 and 17, by two and 10 points.

Brooklyn enters the game as losers of three straight and 11 of its last 13. They're only 5-12 at home and are either down or could be without most of their best players.

Here, we will break down the matchup and share our best Knicks vs. Nets betting picks for Tuesday.

Knicks vs. Nets Betting Odds for Tuesday, January 21

The Knicks are 22-21-1 (51.2 percent) against the spread, 11-11 (50 percent) ATS on the road, and 20-18-1 (52.6 percent) ATS as an underdog. 

The Nets are 22-20-1 (52.4 percent) ATS, 6-11 (35.3 percent) ATS at home, and 20-17-1 (54.1 percent) ATS as an underdog.

Odds for the Knicks vs. Nets game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

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Knicks vs. Nets Prediction

New York Knicks Preview

The Knicks have hit the mid-season lull that often shifts the narrative from potential contenders and makes them seem like frauds. Based on that, it is crucial that the Knicks regain their early-season form and find a rhythm, particularly coming out of the fast-approaching All-Star break.

Judging only by 2025, the Knicks rank 11th in offensive and 22nd in defensive rating, resulting in a net rating of -0.3 (15th) and a 5-6 record. They were also fifth in rebound rate, 14th in turnover frequency, and shot 34.1 percent from three-point land (25th).

Now compare that to their season numbers, where they ranked second in offensive and 16th in defensive rating, sixth in rebound rate, and fifth in rebound rate and shot 37.7 percent from three (fifth), all resulting in a +6.0 net rating (sixth).

So, where did everything go wrong?

The Knicks’ recent skid started after a 117-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They then lost three straight games and earned four of their six losses in 2025 by at least 10 points.

NY shot 52.2 percent from the field in its Monday win over the Hawks, but they also allowed their opponent to shoot 43.3 percent from three and win the battle of the boards. Clearly, there is still a lot to clean up.

It’s possible that Tom Thiodeau’s extreme intensity and heavy minutes burden is wearing down players earlier than they are accustomed to, and that could be why the team slumped seemingly out of nowhere. 

Time will ultimately tell.

Brooklyn Nets Preview

How do we put this politely… the Nets’ picture isn’t as clear as the Knicks’...

On one hand, the Nets acquired five first-round draft picks and a pick swap in a trade with the Knicks that sent Mikal Bridges uptown. On the other, they have a mix of castaways and young pieces the rest of the league doesn’t have much interest in (sans Cam Johnson) and they aren’t a good basketball team.

The Nets have the second-worst offensive and third-worst defensive rating in 2025. Their -15 net rating was the worst in basketball during that time, and they won just two of 11 games, the most recent of which came against the 14-28 Portland Trail Blazers.

The Nets’ outright failure also translated to the betting world as they went 4-7 against the spread in the New Year.

One of the team’s biggest issues is its lack of ball security. They turned the ball over at the third-highest rate since the calendars turned, leading to them allowing the most points per game off of turnovers. 

The Nets also shot a pitiful 32.3 percent from beyond the arc, the only worse team during that time being the Orlando Magic (29 percent). Meanwhile, their opponents drilled 39.5 percent of their shots, which put Brooklyn at 24th. 

The only encouraging sign here is that Knicks opponents shot 42.6 percent from three in 2025, the highest mark in basketball.

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Knicks vs. Nets Betting Pick

• Knicks vs. Nets pick: Knicks -11.5 (-110) at BetMGM 

Waiting for us to discuss the encouraging signs coming out of Brooklyn? Don’t. This team looks terrible and will be without Cam Thomas, Trendon Watford, Ziaire Williams, and Bojan Bogdanovic, and could also miss Ben Simmons (illness) and D’Angelo Russell (hamstring). 

The Knicks are on a skid, but they should look a lot better if they tighten down their three-point defense. That should be an easy ask against one of the worst distance shooting teams in the league, and one that just last week by 59 points to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Take the Knicks to win and cover on the “road” against one of the most lifeless teams in the sport. 

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How to Watch Knicks vs. Nets on 1/21/25

• When: Tuesday, January 21 @ 7:30 p.m. ET

• Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

• TV: TNT/truTV/Max

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