The Phoenix Suns head into their Saturday night game with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden with plenty on the line. Both teams are in second place in their respective divisions and will try to get a statement win to help their chances of moving up in the near future. Here, I break down this game from the world's most famous arena and you can find my Suns vs Knicks prediction right here.
Our Suns vs Knicks Pick
Pick:
Knicks -3.5 ATS PRO
Confidence:
3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Phoenix Suns @ New York Knicks
Date & Time: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Broadcast: NBA TV
Key Storylines
The Knicks return home after a difficult road swing that saw them drop key games, including a loss without Jalen Brunson to the Warriors. Their recent stretch of results has been disappointing as injuries and inconsistency have taken a toll after a hot start to the year. Brunson remains listed as questionable due to a right ankle sprain suffered against Sacramento earlier in the week, making his status a major factor in this game's outcome. Another key piece, Mitchell Robinson, is day-to-day due to rest considerations. New York could use both of those players to give themselves the best chance to win here.
Meanwhile, the Suns have their own health concerns. Devin Booker was questionable heading into their recent games with a left ankle sprain and ultimately missed their loss to the Detroit Pistons. Jalen Green is out with a hamstring issue and Jamaree Bouyea is in concussion protocol, limiting Phoenix’s backcourt depth.
Last meeting between these two saw Phoenix edge the Knicks 112–107 in a physical contest that featured strong scoring from Booker and Dillon Brooks in Phoenix. That night, the Suns capitalized on Knicks miscues and the Suns got clutch shooting late to secure the victory. New York will try to flip the script on Phoenix in this contest from Madison Square Garden.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
Phoenix is 1-0 straight up and against the spread against the Knicks this season.
This is the final regular-season meeting between these teams this season.
The Suns are an NBA-best 29-12 against the spread this season.
The Knicks are 21-21 against the spread going into Saturday night.
Suns vs Knicks Model Projection
Score Projection: Knicks 117 – Suns 112 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Suns 45%, Knicks 55% ATS PRO
Final Thoughts
Bettors should make sure that they keep an eye on the latest injury updates throughout the day leading up to this game. If Brunson does get back on the floor for the Knicks, I would expect them to win and cover the spread on their home floor. But it would be a good idea to make sure he is playing before locking any bets in on this game.
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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