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Why would a lack of knowledge of the Old Testament weaken our understanding of the New Testament?
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An astonishing amount of the New Testament is simply quotations from and explanations of Old Testament passages. Jesus built his life upon the Old Testament and was constantly quoting and referencing it, showing that He considered it to be the Word of God. The Old Testament helps us see exactly how Jesus fulfills the promises of an anticipated Messiah and how He perfectly obeys God’s Law and lives a sinless, righteous life. The sacrificial system points forward to Jesus as our perfect, substitutionary sacrifice that is a propitiation for our sin.
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Their is always a connection
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It is too easy to take the Bible out of context. That was a major problem in the early church that Paul talks about and it is still a problem today. The OT was meant to set up the NT. Without it, the NT would not be nearly as special or powerful as we know it to be.
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A lack of knowledge of the Old Testament would definitely weaken our understanding of the New Testament. We would be lacking a firm foundation upon which to build our understanding. Certain things in the New Testament cannot be fully understood or appreciated without first becoming acquainted with the Old Testament. New Testament understanding would be incomplete without the Old Testament. The New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. So not having knowledge of the Old Testament cheapens the New Testament.
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Jesus said He came to fulfill the law and prophets. We need to know what that is in order to see the fulfillment.