Knicks-Lakers, Thunder-Nuggets: Best Bets For NBA On NBC’s Sunday Doubleheader

The Association is going all out to kick off the month with an NBA on NBC doubleheader: LeBron and Luka head to The Garden to face the New York Knicks, followed by a showdown between the last two NBA MVPs as Denver’s Nikola Jokić takes on Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Normally, the NBA finds a way to fumble these spotlight spots, either with clunky scheduling or "load management". But this time, the league actually nailed it, cashing in on the first Sunday without football since the summer. And I’m celebrating the only way I know how: betting both Lakers-Knicks and Thunder-Nuggets.

Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks (-4.5)

Over the last two weeks, NYK has been the second-best team in the NBA in net rating and spread differential behind the Charlotte Hornets, which shows you how random this season is. Also, the Knicks are mostly healthy (backup SG Miles McBride won't play Sunday) and looking like an NBA Finals contender again after struggling in the first few weeks of January. 

The Lakers are playing well, too, but they have gotten whooped by the two good teams they've played over the last two weeks: The Los Angeles Clippers 112-104, which was more one-sided than the final score indicates, and the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-99. When you look at net efficiency, New York should have two more wins, and LAL should have five fewer. 

Lakers combo guard Austin Reaves is close to returning from injury, and I'd assume he'd like to play in LA's only visit to The Garden this season, unless the Lakers and Knicks meet in the NBA Finals. But the offense might look sloppy in Reaves' first couple of games back because he, Luka Dončić, and LeBron James all need the ball to be effective. 

The New York Knicks host the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden Sunday, February 1. (Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

That's a problem for this game. New York has been the best defense in the NBA over the last two weeks and has three elite defensive wings to throw at LAL's Big 3, including forwards OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. Then, when Knicks big Mitchell Robinson is on the floor, the Lakers won't get anything in the paint. 

The bottom line: NYK is 19-6 straight up and 17-8 against the spread at home this season with a +10.4 margin of victory, has more team continuity with a deeper roster, and should dominate the Lakers in the "battle for possessions". 

Prediction: Knicks 117, Lakers 109

• Bet 1.12 units (u) on the New York Knicks -4.5 (-112) via DraftKings.

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Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets (+7.5)

These odds are disrespectful. It's as if the market stopped watching OKC after it won 24 of its first 25 games this season. This month, the Thunder are 25th in spread differential, according to CleaningTheGlass.com. The market is treating Oklahoma City like a generational team when it was just the flavor of the year last season in the NBA. 

Also, OKC is missing three rotation players Sunday, such as All-Star wing Jalen Williams, its best perimeter defender, wing Alex Caruso, and combo guard Ajay Mitchell, who is one of the best bench players in the NBA. Granted, Denver won't have three starters either Sunday: PF Aaron Gordon, SF Cameron Johnson and wing Christian Braun. 

Nuggets wing Peyton Watson has broken out since he's getting more playing time because of Denver's injuries. Watson won Western Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 11, and he is scoring 17.4 points per game as a starter on 50.8% shooting (43.1% from behind the arc). Plus, Denver held down the fort without Jokić, winning 10 of the 16 games he missed. 

Jokić returning from his absence Friday to play the Clippers, with his next game against the Thunder, is intentional. Denver beat the Clippers in seven games in the first round of the 2025 Western Conference Playoffs and lost to Oklahoma City in seven games in the conference semifinals. 

He had these two games circled on his calendar, which should concern OKC backers. The Nuggets smacked the Clippers 122-109 Friday, and The Joker showed no rust. Now, it's the Thunder's turn. Ultimately, with Jokic back, the Nuggets shouldn't be home underdogs vs. anyone, and I'm sprinkling a quarter-unit on their moneyline. 

Prediction: Nuggets 115, Thunder 112

• Bet 1.1u on the Denver Nuggets +7.5 (-110) and sprinkle 0.25u on their moneyline (+215) via FanDuel.

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