Tip-off: Thursday, Noon ET
Line: Washington -5.5, Total: 193

The Knicks look to end their losing skid with a home win over the slumping Wizards on Christmas Day.

Washington started December with a 9-1 SU record (5-5 ATS), but has dropped two straight games, both at home. On Tuesday, the Bulls came to the nation's capital and left with a 99-91 victory. New York last played on Sunday when it lost 118-108 in Toronto to mark its fifth straight SU loss (3-2 ATS) and 15th defeat in the past 16 games (9-7 ATS). The Wizards have dominated this head-to-head series, winning-and-covering in four straight. That includes a 98-83 victory over the Knicks on Nov. 4 as 1.5-point road favorites. Washington has also won-and-covered in three straight at Madison Square Garden. This Wizards team is 5-8-1 ATS after failing to cover in their previous game this season. They are, however, 9-5 SU in those contests. New York is 1-6 ATS versus Southeast Division opponents on the season, and is also 11-14 ATS as an underdog on the season. SG J.R. Smith (heel) will likely miss his eighth straight game on Thursday.

Can the Knicks pick up a rare victory on Christmas Day? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks throughout the entire 2014-15 season. While StatFox Forecaster has a strong 57% ATS record (75-56-1) in featured games this season, the five experts have also done well recently with a collective 58% ATS mark (54-39-2) in NBA Best Bets since Nov. 29. StatFox Gary is 67% ATS (12-6) during this timeframe to give him a 59% ATS (24-17) in NBA Best Bets this season, while StatFox Brian is 65% ATS (13-7) since Nov. 29 to improve to a 55% ATS record (23-19) in NBA Best Bets this season. Also during this surge, StatFox Dave is 63% ATS (12-7-1).

The Wizards come into this game after a disappointing home loss against Chicago on Tuesday. PG John Wall (17.8 PPG, 10.4 APG, 2.1 SPG) played well in a matchup with Derrick Rose, finishing the game with 18 points and nine assists in just 37 minutes. He should be able to dominate a Knicks team that really has trouble defending opposing guards. Another player who could really give New York issues is C Marcin Gortat (13.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG). Gortat had 14 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three blocks in a loss to the Bulls on Wednesday. He can be a monster inside on both ends of the floor, and his size will really hurt New York. He played just 22 minutes in the win over New York last month, but still had six points and seven rebounds. SG Bradley Beal (15.1 PPG, 1.6 SPG) is also capable of getting hot from the outside against this porous Knicks defense. He has struggled from the field recently (38.8% FG over last five games), but is a guy that can put up points in a hurry once he knocks a few shots down and gets his confidence up. Paul Pierce (13.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has always enjoyed playing at Madison Square Garden in his career, and had a well-rounded game on Nov. 4 against New York with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and a +14 rating. He is capable of making big shots and will be amped up in a matchup with Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks appear to be destined for a lottery pick in next year’s draft, reaching the 25-loss mark before any other team in the NBA. The Knicks have dropped seven straight home games, and if they are going to beat the Wizards, they’ll need a huge game from SF Carmelo Anthony (23.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.2 APG). Anthony has been doing his part lately, averaging 28.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 2.3 SPG over the past five contests. It’s clear now, however, that he will not receive much help from his teammates and will need to completely carry the Knicks if they are going to find any sort of groove this season. Anthony scored only 18 points in the Nov. 4 loss to the Wizards, and made just 8-of-23 FG (35%) with more turnovers (seven) than rebounds (six). One player who is starting to find his game is PG Jose Calderon (9.6 PPG, 4.2 APG). Over the past five contests, Calderon is averaging 12.8 PPG, 4.4 APG and 4.0 RPG. The point guard struggled to find consistency after missing the beginning of the season with a calf injury, but he’s starting to look more like himself in recent weeks. He is, however, a miserable defender and will really struggle to guard the much quicker John Wall. SG Tim Hardaway Jr. (10.7 PPG) is the team’s best scoring option outside of Anthony these days. He’s averaging 16.2 PPG over the past five contests, and will need to get hot from the outside if he is going to help this team win against the Wizards. Hardaway made only 2-of-7 FG in last month's loss to Washington.