by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Dec 10, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Scotiabank Centre, Toronto, ON
Where to watch: TSN, MSG
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Raptors -1.5
BetMGM: Raptors -1.5
Caesars: PK
Season record
Knicks: 12-13 (11th place, Eastern Conference)
Raptors: 11-14 (12th place, Eastern Conference)
Jack Banks is hitting 65% ATS in December (all sports combined) after winning with the Vikings last night in the NFL! The former offshore consultant is on a 27-17 winning NBA run and he's back on Friday with a 10* NBA Bank Job Beatdown! Catch Jack’s plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Knicks - Raptors preview and analysis
Recent form
Knicks: lost four of five; lost 122-102 at Pacers on Wednesday
Raptors: lost four of six; lost 110-109 vs. Thunder on Wednesday
It's the lesser of two evils when trying to figure out who to choose in this Friday matchup, but I'm leaning toward the New York Knicks over the Toronto Raptors up north.
Neither team has looked great over the last couple of weeks. The Knicks have lost four of five while the Raptors have dropped four of six in what's considered a really bland Eastern Conference.
Both teams are coming off underwhelming losses in different fashions. The Knicks lost by 20 to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in their second game of a back-to-back. That came after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs by 12.
The Knicks were held to just 41.9 percent shooting and only made 9 of 30 attempts from 3-point range against an average Indiana defense. Julius Randle had 18 points and 8 rebounds but was held to just 6 of 18 shooting. RJ Barrett had a team-high 19 points on just 5 of 12.
"It's frustrating, but we've got to keep moving forward," Randle said. "It's just our focus. I think everybody was a little drained. We've just got to be mentally tougher to overcome that."
It hasn't been an easy run for the Knicks, but they'll bounce back because you just have that belief sometimes. They're getting healthy; they're bound to put it together at the right time. New York may only be slightly worse against the spread than its straight-up record (11-14) but the Knicks are 5-1 ATS in their last six on the road against teams with a losing home record.
The Raptors, now back full-time in Toronto, are off to an abysmal 4-9 start on homecourt that includes a 110-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Toronto is without rising star OG Anunoby and reserve big man Khem Birch for the "foreseeable future" as coach Nick Nurse would say.
All five starters scored in double figures for Toronto led by 24 from Gary Trent Jr. Pascal Siakam had 23 on 10 of 15 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and five assists. Overall, the Raptors shot 45 percent from the floor and made 15 of 41 from 3-point range. The Thunder had just a better stroke of luck by making two more threes than Toronto.
Prediction
I think the Knicks want to end this stretch of games on a high note. The Pacers finally took advantage of a situation that they should've, but the Knicks are still a better team at this juncture. Toronto scares me in that it can't find consistency with how talented that roster is. Give me New York in a bounce-back game. Knicks by 10
Betting trends
The Knicks are 40-19 ATS when the line is between +3 and -3 in the last 59.
The Knicks are 11-3 ATS off three straight overs.
The Knicks are 37-20 ATS in the rematch against the opponent.
The Raptors are 3-10 ATS at home this season.
Projected starting lineup
Knicks:
PG: Alec Burks
SG: Evan Fournier
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Julius Randle
C: Mitchell Robinson
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Julius Randle
C: Mitchell Robinson
Raptors:
PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Gary Trent Jr.
SF: Scottie Barnes
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Chris Boucher
SF: Scottie Barnes
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Chris Boucher
Key injuries
Knicks: Nerlens Noel (day-to-day)
Raptors: Precious Achiuwa (shoulder, questionable), OG Anunoby (hip, out), Khem Birch (knee, out)
Statistical leaders
Knicks:
Points: Julius Randle – 19.8
Rebounds: Julius Randle – 9.8
Assists: Julius Randle – 5.2
Raptors:
Points: Fred VanVleet – 19.8
Rebounds: Precious Achiuwa – 8.2
Assists: Fred VanVleet – 6.3
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.
