Grizzlies vs. Knicks – Preview
Tuesday, 7:30pm ET • Madison Square Garden
Our Pick: Knicks -10.5

Madison Square Garden hosts Memphis–New York at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the matchup sets up cleanly for the Knicks to handle a big number.

Start with form and venue: New York is 6–0 at home and riding a four-game win streak, pairing a 120.6 points-per-game offense with an +8.7 average point differential—top-tier figures this month.  Memphis, by contrast, enters 4–7 with a –4.9 differential and just 1–2 on the road, fresh off a 114–100 home loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday. 

Availability tilts the floor further. The Grizzlies’ frontcourt depth is thinned with Brandon Clarke (knee) out 6–9 weeks and rookie center Zach Edey (ankle) ruled out; guard Javon Small (toe), Ty Jerome (calf), and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) are also out.  New York lists Mitchell Robinson (ankle) as questionable, but the Knicks’ big-man rotation has still surged behind Karl-Anthony Towns and the wings’ gang-rebounding. 

The statistical matchups are favorable to New York’s margin. The Knicks rebound better (47.7 per game) than Memphis (43.6), an edge that tends to magnify in shorthanded frontcourts and fuels second-chance scoring for a team already above 120 points per night.  Memphis allows 118.6 points per game—exactly the kind of defense New York’s balanced shot creation can punish. 

Star playmaking is another separator. Jalen Brunson (27.2 PPG, 6.2 APG) drives the Knicks’ half-court efficiency, and New York is coming off a 134–98 demolition of Brooklyn in which Towns led with 28—evidence of multiple pressure points the Grizzlies must cover.  Meanwhile, Ja Morant is orchestrating (7.9 APG) but still searching for efficiency (35.8% FG) as Memphis tries to stabilize lineups amid injuries. 

Situationally, fatigue risk leans Memphis. This is the first night of a road back-to-back (@NYK Tuesday, @BOS Wednesday), while New York is not on a back-to-back tonight. That scheduling spot typically compresses rotations and can erode transition defense late. 

Put it together: unbeaten at home, superior point differential, a real rebounding edge, healthier and deeper creation, and a favorable schedule spot. That’s the blueprint for New York not just to win, but to build the kind of cushion needed to cover a double-digit spread.