Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks Weds. Feb. 23, 2011 7:30 p.m. EST

Normally, the Milwaukee Bucks heading the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks wouldn’t be a big deal as neither team has made much of an impact in the Eastern Conference over the last decade or so, but Wednesday night’s matchup will be epic to say the least.

Not since the days of Patrick Ewing have the New York Knicks been a force to be reckoned with in the East, but after Tuesday blockbuster trade which sent superstar Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple from the Denver Nuggets, things have taken a drastic turn for the Knicks.

Even without Melo, the Knicks have been a pretty good basketball team this season as the newly acquired free agent Amare Stoudemire has been able to turn around this team. With Stoudemire getting it done in the paint and young stars like rookie Landry Fields picking up the slack, New York become a legitimate playoff team, but with the addition of Carmelo Anthony this team could quickly become a title contender. It will be interesting to see how the odds this season change in NBA betting.

On Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, Carmelo Anthony will play his first game in a New York Knicks uniform against the Milwaukee Bucks. Even though this game would’ve fairly close before yesterday’s trade, the scales tilt heavily in favor of the Knicks now as the Bucks will have no answer for the two-headed monster of Melo and Stoudemire.

The New York Knicks will almost certainly be favored to come out on top in this one and for good reason, but I would anticipate some trouble with the chemistry as Melo tries to get use to his new surrounding in the Big Apple. Even though this game might be a bit sloppy initially, the Knicks should come out on top.

For Wednesdays games, the following online sportsbooks have the best lines:

BetDSI Sportsbook:
Spread: Milwaukee Bucks +7 & New York Knicks -7
Moneyline: Milwaukee Bucks +260 & New York Knicks -310
Over/Under: Milwaukee Bucks 110 over & New York Knicks 110 under (199)

BetDSI Sportsbook:
Spread: Milwaukee Bucks +7 & New York Knicks -7
Moneyline: Milwaukee Bucks +260 & New York Knicks -310
Over/Under: Milwaukee Bucks 110 over & New York Knicks 110 under (199)

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