The six-game slate in the NBA scheduled for Sunday, March 12, will conclude with this inter-conference duel in Los Angeles, so make sure you don’t miss out on the best Knicks vs. Lakers betting pick and odds.

New York is playing the second game of a back-to-back set when they visit Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers are slight 1-point favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the total is set at N/A points. These inter-conference rivals will meet for the second time this year; the Lakers won 129-123 in overtime in New York.

Knicks fell short of the Kings in Sacramento

The New York Knicks (39-29, 37-28-3 ATS) experienced their best period of the season during which they won nine in a row before losing the next two. Following an upsetting home loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Knicks opened their four-game road trip in the west with a 122-117 defeat to the Sacramento Kings. New York was down by 16 points at halftime, and even though they displayed a better performance in the second half, the Kings still secured a W. The Knicks didn’t shoot well from the floor (41.6%), but they did win the rebounding battle (58-42), getting even 23 offensive rebounds in the process.

R.J. Barrett led the Knicks with a game-high 25 points and seven rebounds. Julius Randle registered a double-double of 23 points and ten boards with five assists and two steals, Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes scored 19 points apiece, Josh Hart chipped in nine points, a game-high 15 rebounds, team-high seven dimes, and team-high three thefts, while Mitchell Robinson scored nine points with eight boards.

PG Jalen Brunson is out for Saturday’s clash with the Clippers with a foot injury and is questionable to face the Lakers on Sunday.

Lakers are moving up

The Los Angeles Lakers (33-34, 33-33-1 ATS) won seven of the previous nine games and are currently on a three-game winning run. The Lakers lost the first of their five-game homestay but managed to win the following three over the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Raptors. Los Angeles was excellent from the field (56.3%) in their most recent 122-112 victory against the Toronto Raptors, and even though they committed 20 turnovers, the hosts still got away with a W.

D’Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 28 points, team-high nine assists, and five rebounds. Dennis Schroder had 23 points, seven dishes, and team-high four steals, Austin Reaves contributed 18 points and five dimes, while Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt scored 16 points apiece.

SF LeBron James (foot) and C Mohamed Bamba (ankle) are out indefinitely and will not be able to play against the Knicks on Sunday.

Trends:

New York:

N/A

Los Angeles:

N/A

New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Pick

The Knicks will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set after facing the Clippers on Saturday. The Lakers will have an advantage as they had a full day to rest and prepare for this game, while their current form is encouraging, so I am going with the hosts to take a W here. Los Angeles has a more prolific offense that is scoring 116.7 points per game opposite New York’s 115.3 points per contest, but the Lakers’ defense has been impressive lately and that’s why I’m backing them. They kept the opponents below 113 points in each of the last four games.

Pick: Take the Lakers at -1 (-110)

The Total

Although the Lakers’ defense is not even among the top 20 in the NBA, Los Angeles clearly improved in that segment recently. The offense is not that lethal without LeBron James, so I don’t expect the hosts to erupt offensively in this one. We did have overtime and a high-scoring affair in the lone H2H of the season, but I don’t think it’s going to happen on Sunday. Around 220 points is what I anticipate and it should be enough for the Under bettors to make a profit.

Pick: Go Under N/A points