The New York Knicks take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday evening as the teams will hook up for their third matchup this season. Despite Carmelo Anthony being a question mark before the game, the Knicks still look like the favorite in this matchup. 

It's all about their bench. The Knicks proved capable of taking advantage of the resting Nets starters in their last meeting as they came back from a 21-5 deficit early in the game. 

The Knicks have capable scorers in their starting lineup, but more importantly, they can also score with their bench. J.R. Smith has proven he can go off on hot streaks as long as he doesn't try to do too much. Chris Copeland almost became an unsung hero against the Houston Rockets, scoring 29 points in Anthony's absence. Though he has been off this season, Steve Novak is always a threat from three. 

The Nets possess pesky players like Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche who can rebound and control the boards. However, they are not the most consistent of scorers. 

That puts a lot of pressure on Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, who was not active in the two teams' last meeting.

So far, Joe Johnson has demonstrated why the Atlanta Hawks couldn't take it to the next level while he was leading that talented team. Johnson is a guy who averages 17 points a night and rarely takes over games. He came up big against the Detroit Pistons sinking the game winner to avoid another overtime. However, he's not the one who will light up the scoreboard and isn't versatile enough to run the offense when Williams is resting on the bench. 

The Knicks simply have it all in comparison to the Nets who have lost seven of their last 10 games. Not that this matchup will be a blowout, but the Knicks are the favorite to win. They have the momentum and chemistry in comparison to a currently struggling Nets squad that has given up big leads in games they should have locked up. 

Game time is at 7 p.m. ET. This will be the first Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks meeting taking place in Madison Square Garden.

Score Prediction: Look for another close game between the two clubs. Final score 106-101 Knicks.