NBA odds, betting preview (Jan. 8): Raptors vs. Knicks predictions

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The Toronto Raptors will begin a three-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents on Wednesday when they visit the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Toronto is in a free fall, dropping 13 of its last 14 games, including a 128-104 decision to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

The Knicks, meanwhile, are looking to avoid a fourth straight loss before a key clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

This will be the third of four meetings between these two teams this season. New York took the last meeting on Dec. 23, 139-125, at MSG, narrowly covering the 13.5-point spread. The Knicks also took the first meeting between these teams in Toronto on Dec. 9, 113-108. The Raptors covered the 7.5-point spread as underdogs in that contest.

Let’s dive into the game odds for Wednesday’s battle between the Raptors and Knicks:

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Betting Toronto Raptors (8-28 SU, 20-14-2 ATS, 19-17 o/u)

The Raptors rolled out their ideal starting five for the first time this season against the Bucks on Monday, but they collectively didn’t respond as head coach Darko Rajakovic had hoped. The group, which had been missing one or more players due to injury all season, combined for a plus/minus of -114. RJ Barrett led the way with a team-high 25 points in his return from an illness, but Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick struggled mightily from the field, going a combined 6-for-22 (27.2 percent).

It’s going to take some time for this group to build some chemistry, but it won’t be easy to accomplish in the short term with this back-to-back set against superior teams. Toronto will immediately head for Cleveland after Wednesday’s tilt with the Knicks for another daunting matchup on Thursday with an elite Cavaliers squad.

Betting New York Knicks (24-13 SU, 17-18-2 ATS, 20-17 o/u)

The Knicks rank in the top five in the league in several statistical categories this season: second in effective field goal percentage (57.3), second in true shooting percentage (60.5), third in offensive rating (119.2), fourth in turnover ratio (13.3), fifth in net rating (6.8), fifth in rebounding percentage (51.3), fifth in player impact estimate (53.8), and fifth in assists/turnover ratio (2.10).

Karl-Anthony Towns is a major reason why New York is such a powerhouse this season, but he did miss the team’s last contest against the Orlando Magic due to a sore knee. He’s officially listed as questionable on Wednesday, so bettors will want to pay close attention to his status leading up to the tip. He’s the league’s leading rebounder (14 per game) and is averaging 25.3 points per game. New York struggled mightily without him against the Magic on Monday, putting up just 94 points on 18 percent shooting from long range.

Raptors vs. Knicks injuries

The Raptors have a clean injury report heading into this matchup (this is not a typo!).

G Miles McBride (hamstring) and C Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) are questionable for the Knicks. C Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is out.

Raptors vs. Knicks betting trends

• The Knicks have won six straight meetings with the Raptors (5-1 ATS during that span).
• The over is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings.
• Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games.
• The Knicks are 7-7-2 ATS at home this season.

Raptors vs. Knicks player prop trends

• Jakob Poeltl has beaten his points line of 11.5 in three straight games and at a 71 percent rate this season. He’s around -115 to exceed the mark again.
• Josh Hart has failed to hit his points line of 15.5 in seven of his last 10 games and in 67 percent of his games this season. He’s around -110 to record under 15.5 points, a mark he’s failed to hit in both of the previous contests with Toronto this season.
• Gradey Dick is on an incredible run of beating his mark of 4.5 rebounds + assists in 12 straight games. He’s exceeded this mark in 71 percent of his contests this season, and you can get him at around +120 odds to beat that mark again Wednesday.

Raptors vs. Knicks best bets

• Towns is so important to New York’s success, so I would recommend waiting until his status becomes clear before placing any wagers on traditional game lines. If he’s ruled out, the spread will definitely shift towards Toronto and possibly into the single digits.
• Dick over 4.5 rebounds + assists: +120 (bests odds @ bet365). We’re getting outstanding value (45.4 percent implied odds) at plus money on this red-hot player prop that is cashing at a 71 percent rate this season. New York is giving up the sixth-least amount of rebounds + assists to the opposition this season, but Dick did clear this line in both of the previous meetings with New York in December.

The post NBA odds, betting preview (Jan. 8): Raptors vs. Knicks predictions first appeared on Raptors Republic.