by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Jan 22, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Where to watch: TSN, MSG
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Raptors -2
FanDuel: Raptors -1.5
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: Raptors -2.5
Season record
Knicks: 25-22
Raptors: 20-27
We’re nearing the halfway mark of the season in the NBA and it’s been quite the ride so far. Al McMordie is cashing hard at 22-15-0 in the last 30 days, while Doc’s Sports has also had a strong run of form as of late at 14-10-0 (+$3,000). If they’ve been killing it as much as they were in the first half, what does the second half have in store? The only way you’re going to find out is by staying locked on bigal.com and following what our champion handicappers are up to heading into the final 41 games. Trust us, you want to know.
Knicks - Raptors preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Raptors: lost 139-124 at Hawks
Knicks: lost 128-16 at Timberwolves
The New York Knicks will be playing the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at Toronto.
The New York Knicks lost against the Atlanta Hawks last Friday, January 20 in Atlanta, Georgia with a score of 139-124. The New York Knicks currently rank 4th in the Atlantic Division. Julius Randle had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks but was held scoreless in the final period.
“They're playing at a very high level right now,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “They're sharing the ball and playing well together.”
RJ Barrett scored 23 points for the seventh-place Knicks (25-22), who have a three-game losing streak.
Thibodeau was not happy with the Knicks' defense.
“You give up 139, credit to them, they're playing great basketball right now,” said Thibodeau of the Hawks. “But we're not going to win a game like that. ... We're not playing great defense and we've got to get back to that.”
The Knicks have dropped three games in a row after a run that included six wins in seven games. Trying to figure out what team this is right now is pretty agonizing. I want to believe in what Randle and Brunson are selling, but this is the kind of stretch that makes me think they really aren't that culture yet. I'm not sure where we can put this team at, but man, it's really weird.
The Toronto Raptors lost against the Minnesota Timberwolves last Thursday in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a score of 128-126. The Toronto Raptors currently rank 5th in the Atlantic Division. Scottie Barnes had 12 of his season-high 29 points in the fourth for Toronto, which had won four of six. Fred VanVleet added 25 points and 10 assists for the Raptors. Toronto scored 62 points in the paint without Gobert to protect the rim and added 23 fast-break points.
“Russell obviously got them going, shook free a little bit,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “A few miscues there on defense and then, I don’t know, we just didn’t probably get enough quality looks at the offensive end either. And it was too bad on some of them because we made the right plays and then didn’t take the shot.”
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Raptors right now. The fact that they lost to the Boston Celtics 106-104 on Saturday isn't bad, because they're one of the top teams in the league. But it's the way they lost that game was just a horrendous way to go about it. They're nowhere near where they should be at the top of the Eastern Conference. The Raptors had just seven free-throw attempts.
“We just didn’t get anything at the free throw line tonight,” Nurse said.
Prediction
The fact the Raptors are at home is a good thing, but the fact the Knicks are in need of a win also doesn't bode well for the Raptors. Nothing bodes well for that group right now, and they're so talented. My god, what more can the Raptors do? I'm not trusting them here. Knicks 107, Raptors 103
The New York Knicks will be playing the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at Toronto.
The New York Knicks lost against the Atlanta Hawks last Friday, January 20 in Atlanta, Georgia with a score of 139-124. The New York Knicks currently rank 4th in the Atlantic Division. Julius Randle had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks but was held scoreless in the final period.
“They're playing at a very high level right now,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “They're sharing the ball and playing well together.”
RJ Barrett scored 23 points for the seventh-place Knicks (25-22), who have a three-game losing streak.
Thibodeau was not happy with the Knicks' defense.
“You give up 139, credit to them, they're playing great basketball right now,” said Thibodeau of the Hawks. “But we're not going to win a game like that. ... We're not playing great defense and we've got to get back to that.”
The Knicks have dropped three games in a row after a run that included six wins in seven games. Trying to figure out what team this is right now is pretty agonizing. I want to believe in what Randle and Brunson are selling, but this is the kind of stretch that makes me think they really aren't that culture yet. I'm not sure where we can put this team at, but man, it's really weird.
The Toronto Raptors lost against the Minnesota Timberwolves last Thursday in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a score of 128-126. The Toronto Raptors currently rank 5th in the Atlantic Division. Scottie Barnes had 12 of his season-high 29 points in the fourth for Toronto, which had won four of six. Fred VanVleet added 25 points and 10 assists for the Raptors. Toronto scored 62 points in the paint without Gobert to protect the rim and added 23 fast-break points.
“Russell obviously got them going, shook free a little bit,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “A few miscues there on defense and then, I don’t know, we just didn’t probably get enough quality looks at the offensive end either. And it was too bad on some of them because we made the right plays and then didn’t take the shot.”
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Raptors right now. The fact that they lost to the Boston Celtics 106-104 on Saturday isn't bad, because they're one of the top teams in the league. But it's the way they lost that game was just a horrendous way to go about it. They're nowhere near where they should be at the top of the Eastern Conference. The Raptors had just seven free-throw attempts.
“We just didn’t get anything at the free throw line tonight,” Nurse said.
Prediction
The fact the Raptors are at home is a good thing, but the fact the Knicks are in need of a win also doesn't bode well for the Raptors. Nothing bodes well for that group right now, and they're so talented. My god, what more can the Raptors do? I'm not trusting them here. Knicks 107, Raptors 103
Betting trends
Knicks are 45-25 ATs when the line is +3 to -3 the last 3 seasons.
Knicks are 15-7 ATS on the road this season.
Knicks are 280-227 ATS revenging a home loss since 1996.
Raptors are 9-19 ATS when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
Knicks are 45-25 ATs when the line is +3 to -3 the last 3 seasons.
Knicks are 15-7 ATS on the road this season.
Knicks are 280-227 ATS revenging a home loss since 1996.
Raptors are 9-19 ATS when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
Projected starting lineup
Knicks:
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Quentin Grimes
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Julius Randle
C: Jericho Sims
Raptors:
PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Gary Trent Jr.
SF: O.G. Anunoby
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Pascal Siakam
Injury report
Knicks: Mitchell Robinson (thumb, out)
Raptors: None
Knicks: Mitchell Robinson (thumb, out)
Raptors: None
Statistical leaders
Knicks:
Points: Julius Randle -- 24.4
Rebounds: Julius Randle -- 10.7
Assists: Jalen Brunson -- 6.3
Raptors:
Points: Pascal Siakam -- 25.1
Rebounds: Pascal Siakam -- 8.2
Assists: 6.4
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this New York Knicks - Toronto Raptors prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
