Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for the Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks NBA matchup.
Editor’s Note: Jakob Poeltl (injury management) has been ruled out for today’s game vs. the Knicks.
Eight games of NBA action are tipping off across today’s Sunday slate. One of the headline matchups will be between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, with the two teams sitting in second and third place in the Eastern Conference following a strong start.
The Knicks enter as 7.5-point favorites and hold -298 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Raptors are +240 underdogs, with the game total set at 230.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Sunday night matchup.
Raptors at Knicks Preview
The Toronto Raptors have been one of the more positive surprises across the NBA this season. They enter with a 14-6 record on the season, with an overtime loss to the Hornets in their previous game, snapping a nine-game winning streak. This will mark the second half of a back-to-back for Toronto. The Raptors are 10-10 against the spread this season, with the under cashing in 12 of their 20 games.
Brandon Ingram headlines the production with 21.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists on the season, while Scottie Barnes has been their jack-of-all-trades, adding 20.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists and setting the tone defensively. Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Gradey Dick and Collin Murray-Boyles round out most of their notable depth. Toronto plays a refreshing, team-oriented style of basketball, ranking second in the league in assists per game. RJ Barrett will remain sidelined today due to his knee injury.Â
The Raptors rank 13th in the league in scoring at 118.8 points per game. They rank third in field-goal percentage, 12th in three-point percentage and 23rd in rebounding. Defensively, Toronto is holding opponents to 112.8 points per game, which ranks third in the NBA. It is limiting teams to the worst opponent three-point percentage, ranks 10th in opponent field-goal percentage and is posting the third-best defensive rating.
The New York Knicks sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 12-6 record to start the year. They enter this matchup on a three-game winning streak and have the rest advantage after last playing on Friday. New York is 11-7 against the spread this season, and the over has cashed in 10 of its 18 games.
Jalen Brunson remains the epicenter of production, averaging 29.1 points, 6.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds on the season. Karl-Anthony Towns adds 21.7 points and 12.2 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges has been further unlocked this season by averaging 16.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Josh Hart, Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek round out most of the notable depth. OG Anunoby remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Landry Shamet will continue to miss time due to a shoulder issue.
The Knicks are generating 120.7 points per contest, which ranks fifth in the league. They rank third in offensive rating, 14th in field-goal percentage, 10th in three-point percentage, 10th in assists and ninth in rebounds per game. Defensively, opponents are scoring 114.0 points per game, which ranks ninth in the NBA. The Knicks have struggled to defend the three-point line, ranking 27th in three-point attempts allowed and 26th in opponent three-point percentage. However, they are holding opponents to the fewest offensive rebounds, rank 14th in opponent overall field-goal percentage and 14th in defensive rating.
Raptors at Knicks Prediction, Best Bet
This will be the first matchup between these two teams this season. There were far higher expectations for this Knicks team coming into the year, but it is impossible to ignore the level the Raptors are playing at. You can poke some holes in the quality of opponents Toronto has faced, but you have to beat who is in front of you, and the Raptors have done exactly this.
Ultimately, the 7.5-point spread is too much for my liking, and I am backing the Raptors to cover this number. Toronto has won 13 of its past 15 and will be looking to wash away the sour taste of last night’s overtime loss. The Raptors do an excellent job of forcing turnovers and getting out in transition, leading the league in fast-break points per game. New York looked sloppy in its previous game against an inferior Bucks team, and Toronto will punish the Knicks for those mistakes in a way that Milwaukee did not.
The quality of talent is higher on the Knicks, but the Raptors know exactly who they are as a basketball team and play as a cohesive unit. New York’s roster has spent plenty of time together, but there have been some growing pains in Mike Brown’s new system.
Sandro Mamukelashvili will push the Knicks on the boards and be capable of extending the New York defense out to the perimeter with his 42.9% three-point percentage in mind. Brandon Ingram is playing at an extremely high level, averaging 24.6 points per game across his past seven. The entire Raptors roster makes more sense when he has it going. Expect him to maintain this level against the Knicks and for the tenacity this Toronto roster has shown to shine through.
I am not quite willing to push it to take the moneyline swing, but the Raptors can be counted on to bring their best effort and battle throughout. Expect this matchup to go down to the wire and for the Raptors to remain within the 7.5-point spread in a battle between two of the top Eastern Conference teams.