NBA Odds: Heat Could Be Short-Handed in New York

NBA Odds: Knicks in Fine Form, Heat Feel Sick

Nobody's laughing at the New York Knicks anymore. They're one of the most profitable teams in the NBA through the first month of the regular season, and they'll have a chance to add to their money pile this Thursday (7:30 PM ET, NBA-TV) when they host the Miami Heat.

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The Knicks (8-7 SU, 10-5 ATS) are in Year Two of their rebuilding project under PBO Phil Jackson, and it looks like they landed a gem when they took power forward Kristaps Porzingis fourth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. Porzingis is already playing like an All-Star, putting up 18.3 points and 12.2 rebounds per 36 minutes while hitting 34.1% of his 3-point attempts.

Miami (9-4 SU, 6-7 ATS) still has the better team at this point, but small forward Luol Deng is dealing with a hamstring issue, and both center Hassan Whiteside and power forward Amar'e Stoudemire have fallen ill. With power forward Chris Andersen (personal) not getting any minutes, the Heat could be too thin down low to deal with Porzingis. They'll also be playing on zero days of rest after taking on the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night in Detroit, while the Knicks are visiting the Orlando Magic.