T.M. Selection: New York Knicks.

I like the New York Knicks to cover the spread against the New Orleans Pelicans in this game on Thursday. The Knicks have lost 2 games in a row now and I think they are due for a bounce back here at home. They didn't look good in their loss to the Hornets but they played a lot better in the 2nd half of that game. Same with their most recent game, they were losing big in the 1st half but then came back in the 2nd half taking the lead late in the game but they found a way to blow that lead and end up losing by 2 points to the Timberwolves. Again, they looked a lot better in the 2nd half of that game compared to the 1st half. I think after 2 games in a row of losing like that on their home court, I expect them to make some adjustments here and come out with a much stronger 1st half and defensive effort. The Knicks are still very well in the mix for the playoffs and I expect them to start stepping up in their games soon to play better. The Knicks are just below .500 but they are a much better team than the Pelicans are and these are the types of games they should be winning on their home court. The Pelicans have also lost 2 games in a row now but I expect them to continue on their losing skid after this game. Both of those losses came in road games and they were both lost by 10+ points. The Pelicans have actually lost 5 games in a row on the road and most of losses have been by 10+ points. The Pelicans have almost 3x the number of losses as wins on the road this year and I expect them to add another game to the loss column here. I like the Knicks to bounce back in this game and cover the spread.

T.M. Prediction: 109-101 Knicks.