The second game of Sunday’s ABC doubleheader is a marquee Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference battle as the New York Knicks (41-23) roll into Crypto.com Arena to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (38-25).
This is the second and final meeting of the season between these teams, and the Lakers will look to even the score after losing in New York 112-100 in early February. Knicks vs. Lakers tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday from Los Angeles, CA.
Below, we’ll break down our Knicks vs. Lakers prediction and Sunday NBA picks for PrizePicks. Use PrizePicks NBA to make picks on player projections and win real money if you’re right.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Knicks vs. Lakers Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Knicks come into this one riding high after dusting the Denver Nuggets 142-103 in Denver. SF OG Anunoby poured in a season-high 34 points in that outing, and the team as a whole shot 58% from the field and 47% from deep.
New York is currently sandwiched at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, sitting 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics and 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have the 27th-toughest remaining strength of schedule, and a win today would do a great deal in kicking off the home stretch of the season the right way.
The Lakers are coming off a decisive win in their own right, beating the Indiana Pacers 128-117 behind 44 points from MVP candidate PG Luka Doncic. That win continues the Lakers' trend of beating up on bad teams while getting beaten by good ones.
L.A. is 30-9-0 (76.9%) straight up as a favorite, the second-best win percentage behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, as the underdog, the Lakers are 8-16-0 (33.3%).
With only 1.5 games separating the No. 3-seeded Houston Rockets from the Lakers in sixth, there is a path for them to enter the playoffs on a high note if they can start beating good teams.
Knicks vs. Lakers Spread, Over/Under
The Knicks enter Sunday’s game as 3.5-point road favorites, returning a 1.2x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Lakers are home underdogs with a 2.22x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Spread: New York Knicks -3.5 (1.85x payout)
- Over/Under: 225.5 (1.75x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Knicks 1.58x | Lakers 2.22x
Team Picks payouts are live as of writing and are subject to change.
Knicks vs. Lakers Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Knicks vs. Lakers injury report for Sunday, via NBA.com.
Knicks Injury Report
- SG Landry Shamet (neck): Questionable
Lakers Injury Report
- F LeBron James (elbow, foot): Questionable
- C-PF Maxi Kleber (back): Questionable
Knicks vs. Lakers Prediction on Spread
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Knicks vs. Lakers prediction on the spread for Sunday, March 8, on PrizePicks.
- The Knicks are 36-29-0 (55.4%) against the spread (ATS), the sixth-best cover percentage in the NBA.
- New York has the fifth-best net rating (+6.7). This is a full 6.3 points better than the Lakers (+0.4) in 16th.
- Over their last 10 games, the Knicks have the top NET at +13.8, 7.5 points better than the Lakers over that same span.
- New York both won and covered comfortably in their only other matchup vs. the Lakers this season.
- The biggest difference between these two teams is defense. The Knicks have the sixth-best defensive rating (111.7) in the NBA. That's miles ahead of the Lakers, who are ranked 21st with a defensive rating of 116.1.
Knicks vs. Lakers Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/8/26
Here are two of the top Knicks vs. Lakers to consider for Sunday, March 8, on PrizePicks. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks are headlined by PG Jalen Brunson and PG Luka Doncic.
Knicks PG Jalen Brunson vs. Lakers Projection: 36.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- This is a dream matchup for Brunson against the Lakers, who allow opponents to shoot 48.5% from the field, the fifth-worst mark in the NBA.
- L.A. is also giving up 27.6 assists per game, tied for sixth-most in the Association.
- Brunson has been in his playmaking bag recently, putting up 40 assists over his last three games and an average of 11.8 assists in March.
- In his last game vs. the Lakers in Crypto.com Arena, Brunson went off for 39 points, 10 assists, and 4 rebounds (53 PRA).
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Lakers PG Luka Doncic vs. Knicks Projection: 46.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Luka is averaging 48.8 PRA and has surpassed this projection in 28 of his 51 games (54.9%).
- He has played the Knicks once per season over the last three years. These are his stat lines in those games: 30-15-8 (53 PRA), 32-7-12 (51 PRA), 39-8-11 (58 PRA).
- Doncic may spend a lot of time this game being guarded by F Mikal Bridges and F-G Josh Hart, who have the second and third-worst defensive ratings on the Knicks among qualified players.
- The Knicks cede up the eighth-most 3-point attempts per game (38.4). Doncic hoists up the second-most per-game treys of his career at 10.3.
Make Knicks vs. Lakers Picks on PrizePicks
We could be in for a Sunday afternoon classic when these two historic franchises lock horns today, but Knicks vs. Lakers picks aren’t the only way hoops fans can get in on the daily NBA action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued NBA predictions, picks, and news.
