There is, quite obviously, a huge gap in talent between the teams sitting near the top of the standings and those wallowing in the lower reaches. Over the course of an 82-game season, though, we often see games where those lesser teams are able to pick up a win against the big guns. Those types of victories often come at the tail end of the season when we reach a point where the top teams have already clinched a playoff spot and are just cruising along until the end of the regular season.
I am always very wary of these types of games, which is why I am not necessarily ready to simply assume that the Toronto Raptors will stroll into the Big Apple and come away with a win against the worst team in the NBA right now. Still, given their recent record against the New York Knicks, it would still be tough to bet against the Raptors on Thursday night. The bookies tend to agree, as they have Toronto in as an 11.5-point favorite for this one.
Raptors vs Knicks NBA Odds & Game Preview
All about understanding the big picture.
📺 | https://t.co/U1A3E2qYCk pic.twitter.com/adOAAk5mW9 — Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) 28 de marzo de 2019
- When: Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 PM EST
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
- TV: TNT
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Toronto Raptors -11.5 (Total 218.5)
Nuggets vs Rockets NBA Spread, Expert Analysis & Game Info
Why bet on the Toronto Raptors?
While the Toronto Raptors will be a little disappointed that they are going to run second in the race for the Eastern Conference crown, they should still be pleased that they are in a very good spot heading into the playoffs. The gap between the top 4 or 5 and the rest of the pack is big, so they have given themselves a good shot at making a deep run. Let’s not forget that with a win percentage of .693, this is still the second-best team in the league.
Toronto is coming into this one on the heels of a win, which took them to 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 22-14 on the road this season and are in possession of a 5-game win streak over the Knicks, which includes all 3 previous meetings this season. The Raptors are 14-7 SU as a road favorite, as well as just 7-13-1 ATS in those games.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 114.12
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.29
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.99
- Free Throw Percentage: 80.40
- Total Rebounds: 45.03
Defense
- Total Score: 108.75
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.06
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.68
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.80
- Total Rebounds: 44.56
Why bet on the New York Knicks?
With just 14 wins on the season, the New York Knicks are not just at the bottom of the heap in the Eastern Conference, they are also in possession of the worst record in the NBA. They come into this one having lost 4 in a row and having just 1 win in their last 10 games.
To make matters even worse, at least from a betting standpoint, they also have managed to cover the spread just twice over that 10-game stretch. Included in their current losing streak is a 128-93 loss to the Toronto Raptors, a game that they started as a 12 ½ point favorite. As a home underdog this season, the Knicks have won just 5 of 29 games and are just 10-17-2 ATS in those match-ups.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 105.19
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.28
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.15
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.98
- Total Rebounds: 44.66
Defense
- Total Score: 114.36
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.07
- Three-Point Percentage: 36.38
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.82
- Total Rebounds: 47.24
Raptors vs Knicks NBA Betting Trends
- Toronto is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games on the road
- Toronto is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 5 games on the road
- New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
- New York is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York’s last 6 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Raptors vs Knicks
This is one of those games where the better team could choose to have a bit of a night off, but even playing poorly, this is still a game that Toronto should win going away.
Score: Toronto Raptors 119 – New York Knicks 100
