New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 02/03/26

It’s easy to pull the trigger on the Knicks here. They have won the last 10 meetings and the Wizards comparatively speaking are garnered as a lightweight while the Knicks are considered a contender to win the NBA Finals. But that’s the problem. Backing the Knicks here is doing so at an inflated number before we go any further. The Knicks’ stock is high and in this series, it is through the roof. That is not a good look for a team that plays losing basketball overall on the highway.

Then there is the number itself. Big road spreads are where basketball turns into math. New York can be clearly superior and still fail to cover if Washington can either stay afloat in the early stages of each half and/or get some equity out of their bench. That’s the underdog blueprint in the modern NBA, especially when the favorite’s incentive is simply to bank a win, not run up margin. However, it likely won’t even need to come to that with this new-look Wizards team spearheaded by “Ice” Trae Young. This team has shown it can hang with the best, but even if New York dominates the backdoor does exist too. To come through that way, Washington doesn’t need sustained offense, just enough scoring to capitalize when New York slows down and tries to wrap things up. That’s how backdoor covers happen without any dramatic comeback. There are multiple avenues for Washington to come in under this large number. Take the points.

Knicks vs Wizards prediction: Wizards +13.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +13.