Keep riding this Knicks trend and bet on Fox to explode vs. Warriors

The TV networks are labeling this "Rivalry Week" in the NBA. I'm not sure that adds any extra importance to the games, but it does lead to some thrilling matchups between potential playoff opponents.

Thursday night should bring more excitement with 14 teams in action. Here are our three best bets.

Nuggets @ Knicks (+2.5 O/U 222.5)

Why not keep rolling with what works? Knicks games have gone under the total in 11 of their last 12 contests. That unprecedented streak coincides with the arrival of OG Anunoby, who's been a game-changer defensively. New York has the NBA's best defense during that stretch.

The Nuggets' offense is much worse on the road than at home. They post a 122 offensive rating in Denver but just a 115 away from it.

If the Knicks compete against the defending champions as 2.5-point underdogs, it'll be by limiting Denver's two-man game between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The total opened at 224.5 and has dropped to 222.5 at the time of this writing. I'd still hop on this trend and ride another Knicks under.

Pick: Under 222.5

Heat team total: Under 107.5 points

The Heat's offense is in a funk, which has led to four consecutive losses, including an embarrassing one to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Many of the Heat's starters played upward of 35 minutes. They now have to play the second leg of a back-to-back against the Celtics, the NBA's best team. Miami is 1-3-1 against the spread with no rest.

The Heat have scored more than 107 points just once in their last seven games. The one time they scored 108 was in a loss to the Hawks, the league's fifth-worst defense.

Boston has the second-best defensive rating and should shut down a discombobulated, tired offensive unit.

Odds: -110 (playable to -125)

De'Aaron Fox: Over 31.5 points and assists

In two games against the Warriors this season, De'Aaron Fox is averaging 39.5 combined points and assists. On the season, he's averaging 33 combined points and assists. In last year's seven-game first-round series, Fox averaged 27.4 points and 7.7 assists per contest.

His scoring numbers are slightly down in January, so this line is low. However, Kings-Warriors has turned into somewhat of a rivalry over the last year. Fox usually shows up when he plays Golden State.

The Warriors could also be tired after playing Wednesday night, hurting their seventh-worst defense.

Odds: -120 (playable to -130)

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.