The Toronto Raptors (8-28) travel to face off against the New York Knicks (24-13) on Wednesday, January 8th. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised on MSG. Both the Raptors and Knicks will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 ET.

Raptors vs Knicks

The Raptors Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Raptors fell to 8-28 on the season after a 128-104 loss to the Bucks on Monday. Toronto, who were +6 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 232 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 231.

A 17-0 run by the Bucks early in the game put the Raptors in a tough spot, as Milwaukee extended their lead from 13-11 to 30-11. Toronto couldn’t recover, and by the end of the 3rd quarter, they trailed 99-75. The teams played to a 29-29 draw in the 4th quarter.

The Knicks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Knicks fell to 24-13 on the season after a 103-94 loss to the Magic on Monday. Despite being favored by 10.5 points at home, New York not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game came in at 197, falling short of the 207-point line.

New York started strong, leading 28-24 after the 1st quarter, but Orlando took control by winning the next three quarters. The Knicks were down 75-68 going into the 4th and couldn’t mount a comeback, as they were outscored 28-26 in the final period.

Raptors Offense Breakdown

In their loss to the Bucks, the Raptors struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 25.7% of their three-point attempts and making only 9 threes. Their overall field goal percentage was 45.1%.

RJ Barrett led the way with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 61.1% from the field. Scottie Barnes added 21 points and 5 assists, while Jakob Poeltl contributed 12 points, hitting 66.7% of his shots.

Knicks Offense Breakdown

In their 103-94 loss to the Magic, the Knicks struggled offensively, shooting 44.4% from the field and hitting just 4 threes at an 18.2% clip. Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson each scored 24 points, with Bridges shooting 50% and Brunson at 38.1%.

Josh Hart contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 55.6% from the field. Bridges scored 9 points in the 1st quarter, while Brunson added 8 in both the 1st and 4th quarters. Hart also chipped in 6 points in the final period.

Raptors Team Defense

The Raptors struggled defensively against the Bucks, giving up 128 points on 57% shooting. Toronto allowed 28 points in the 1st quarter, 38 in the 2nd, 33 in the 3rd, and 29 in the 4th.

Milwaukee hit 22 threes at a 50% clip. The Raptors sent the Bucks to the line 15 times, where they made 12 free throws. Toronto finished with 11 steals and 4 blocks.

Knicks Team Defense

Defensively, the Raptors struggled against the Bucks, allowing 128 points on 57% shooting. Milwaukee scored 38 points in the 2nd quarter and had at least 28 points in every quarter.

Toronto also gave up 22 threes, with the Bucks shooting 50% from beyond the arc. The Raptors finished with 11 steals and 4 blocks.

Raptors vs Knicks Trends

• Across the Raptors last three road games, the team averaged 107 points per game while allowing 139. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 0-3, while going 0-3 straight-up.
• Although New York has a straight up record of 8-2 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-5. The team averaged 115 points per game in these games.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Raptors have a straight up record of 0-3 and an ATS mark of 0-3.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Knicks have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.

Raptors vs Knicks Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +11.5, the Raptors is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 231.5 and our model has the Raptors and Knicks finishing with a combined 293 points. Our pick is to take the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.