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New York has been able to carve out an early one-game lead over the Nets in the Atlantic Division with a 9-3 start both straight-up and against the spread. The Knicks are coming off a 121-100 rout of Detroit as an 11-point home favorite this past Sunday night to remain a perfect 5-0 SU at home, but they are just 4-3 SU on the road. The total has gone OVER in five of their last seven games.

On a team that is loaded with veteran talent, New York is ranked third in the NBA in scoring with an average of 103.4, while only allowing an average of 95.4 points a game. With Amar’e Stoudemire on the shelf until mid-December while recovering from a knee injury, Carmelo Anthony has taken the reins as the team’s leading scorer with 25.6 points a game. Raymond Felton leads the Knicks in assists with 7.3 while averaging 15.7 points a game. Tyson Chandler remains the big man underneath with a team-high 8.5 rebounds a game.

Brooklyn has also gotten off to a solid start with an 8-4 SU record and 7-3-2 mark ATS. It has been especially tough to beat in its new digs at the Barclays Center with six victories in its first seven home games. The Nets beat Portland on Sunday night 98-85 as 7.5-point home favorites with the total staying UNDER the 193.5-point line. The total has now stayed UNDER in four of their last five games.

The big three of Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson have led the way with a combined 54 percent of the Nets points this season. Kris Humphries is the team’s leading rebounder with an average of 8.9 a game and Williams leads in assists with 8.5. The primary strength of this team has been a shutdown defensive effort that is holding opponents to an average of just 91.5 points a game, which is ranked first in the NBA.

Prediction:

This is the first game between these two teams this season as Monday night’s matchup is a make-up game from Brooklyn’s postponed season opener. This rivalry is sure to grow as the season progresses, but for this game stick with the Nets to draw first blood at home. Both of these teams have struggled a bit on the road so far at that will once again be the case for the Knicks. Brooklyn 94 New York 89