The Los Angeles Clippers head into Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to take on the New York Knicks in an inter-conference matchup in the NBA. The Knicks enter as favorites after a slow start to 2026, while the Clippers have played some much-improved basketball of late despite their sub‑.500 record. Here, I break down this matchup on the court and give you my Clippers vs Knicks prediction before this game tips off.
Our Clippers vs Knicks Pick
Pick: | Knicks -4.5 |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Los Angeles Clippers @ New York Knicks
- Date & Time: Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
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Key Storylines
- The Knicks have struggled recently, dropping four straight games and scoring inconsistently, with a lopsided loss to Detroit in their last game. New York is 15-4 at home so far this season, but they have lost two games in a row at Madison Square Garden and they will try to get back on track with a victory in this contest.
- New York is coping without Josh Hart, whose absence has noticeably reduced the team's tenacity on the glass and on defense. New York has given up 120 or more points in three of their four games during their current losing streak and they will try to tighten things up without Hart to avoid a five-game losing streak.
- The Clippers have a worse overall record than the Knicks, but they are finding better form of late. The Clippers have won four of their last five games, including a 103-102 win over the Golden State Warriors in their last outing. But it is worth noting that the Clippers were at home for all five of those games and they could see their level of performance dip again now that they are back on the road.
- Clippers injuries include James Harden (questionable with a sore shoulder), Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), and Derrick Jones Jr. (knee), while the Knicks are missing Hart and Landry Shamet. Harden's status will be incredibly important to monitor going into this contest, as his presence would greatly impact the offensive output for the Clippers in one direction or the other.
Head‑to‑Head & Betting Trends
- This is the first of two matchups between the Clippers and Knicks this season.
- The Knicks are 19-18 against the spread so far this season.
- The Clippers are 15-20 against the spread heading into this matchup.
- New York has gone over the total in 21 of their first 37 games this year.
- The under is 19-16 in Clippers games so far this year.
Best Player Props to Watch
Player | Prop |
|---|
Kawhi Leonard | Over 28.5 Points |
Jalen Brunson | Over 29.5 Points |
Karl‑Anthony Towns | Over 11.5 Rebounds |
Clippers vs Knicks Model Projection
Score Projection: Knicks 115 – Clippers 108
Win Probability: Knicks 68%, Clippers 32%
Final Thoughts
I am going to lay the points with the Knicks at home on Wednesday night. The Knicks are playing some bad basketball of late, but I'm not entirely sold on the Clippers continuing their recent run of form now that they have to go back on the road. Expect the Knicks to snap their four-game losing streak as they should cover the number on their home floor.
Jay Sanin
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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