The Toronto Raptors will face the New York Knicks at home Wednesday on after a league-leading 11th consecutive loss against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
With the season nearing its conclusion, every game matters for the teams in the playoff race. The Knicks are just a half-game away from claiming the third seed in the Eastern Conference and sit two and a half games behind the second seed, making this game against the struggling Raptors crucial for their playoff aspirations.
Bet on Knicks vs. Raptors
NYK -13.5
TOR +13.5
Let’s look at the betting odds via bet365 for this upcoming matchup.
Knicks vs. Raptors odds
| Knicks Moneyline Odds | -950 |
| Raptors Moneyline Odds | +625 |
| Over/Under | 211.5 points (over -110, under -110) |
| Spread | Knicks -13.5 (-110) |
| Time/Date | March 27, 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: TSN Stream: NBA League Pass (How to watch the NBA in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
Betting New York Knicks (43-28 SU, 37-31-3 ATS, 27-44 o/u)
In a commanding 124-99 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday, the Knicks showcased their depth and skill. Donte DiVincenzo led the way with a season-high 40 points, including 11 three-pointers, alongside five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. His performance was pivotal as the Knicks navigated through injuries to key players like Julius Randle, O.G. Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson. Jalen Brunson added 28 points while Josh Hart completed a triple-double with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. DiVincenzo’s scoring spree and Hart’s versatile play were crucial, filling the gaps left by injured teammates and leading the Knicks to a dominant victory.
In the last 15 games, the Raptors’ defensive strategy has undergone significant changes with the large amount of injuries. They are allowing the eighth-most assists to opposing point guards. This weakness provides an excellent opportunity for Brunson. Given the Raptors’ recent trends of allowing point guards to rack up assists, Brunson stands in a prime position to take advantage of this particular weakness in the Raptors’ defence.
Additionally, the Raptors have shown a notable vulnerability to small forwards, currently giving up the second-most points and the sixth-most assists to players at this position, along with conceding the most rebounds. This situation is advantageous for DiVincenzo, who could leverage the Raptors’ defensive issues to generate ample scoring, assisting, and rebounding chances coming off a 40-point game. Furthermore, the Raptors have been struggling to contain power forwards, surrendering the fourth-most points and positioning themselves eighth in terms of rebounds allowed to the position. Hart is set to benefit from this matchup. The Raptors’ defence against centres is also not the best, ranking them as allowing the 10th-most points, the most rebounds, and the second-most assists to centres. Isaiah Hartenstein could take advantage of this by using his rebounding and playmaking skills to exploit the Raptors’ defensive vulnerabilities.
Betting Toronto Raptors (23-49 SU, 32-40 ATS, 34-38 o/u)
In Monday night’s matchup, the Toronto Raptors fell short against the Nets, with a final score of 96-88. Despite the team’s loss, Gary Trent Jr. stood out, leading the Raptors with 18 points. Javon Freeman-Liberty also made a notable contribution, scoring 15 points and adding 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kelly Olynyk showcased his versatility and playmaking abilities, distributing nine assists while scoring 10 points and rounding out his performance with four rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Freeman-Liberty is likely to start at point guard agains the Knicks. He will be entering a matchup where the Knicks are conceding the least points, the least assists, and the least three-pointers made to point guards in the last 30 games. This indicates a particularly challenging scenario for him: facilitating the offence, scoring, and finding his shot from beyond the arc. Trent Jr. faces a slightly less restrictive defensive setup that allows the eighth-least points and the sixth-least rebounds to shooting guards, but interestingly, the Knicks are giving up the fifth-most three-pointers made to shooting guards, suggesting he might find some opportunities with his perimeter shooting.
Ochai Agbaji, stepping in as the power forward, faces a defensive setup that gives up the sixth-least rebounds to power forwards. This positioning indicates a need for him to be aggressive and innovative in securing rebounds and contributing to the team’s offence despite the Knicks’ solid rebounding defence at his position. Lastly, Olynyk faces a significantly challenging matchup with the Knicks allowing the least points and the second-least rebounds to centres in the last 30 games. This statistic suggests that Olynyk’s ability to score and rebound could be significantly hindered, despite his potential as a playmaker from the center position.
Gradey Dick under 3.5 rebounds
-115
Knicks vs. Raptors injury concerns
- Scottie Barnes suffered a fracture to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand and is considered out indefinitely.
- Jakob Poeltl is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left pinkie finger.
- RJ Barrett (personal/conditioning) will be inactive.
- Chris Boucher suffered a partial MCL tear in his right knee and is without a timeline for return.
- Immanuel Quickley (personal/conditioning) has been ruled out.
- Jontay Porter (personal) has been ruled out.
- Julius Randle (shoulder) has been ruled out.
- O.G. Anunoby (elbow) will be inactive.
- Mitchell Robinson (ankle) won’t play.
- Alec Burks (shoulder) is questionable.
NBA betting trends
- The under is 7-0 in Toronto’s last seven games.
- Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games.
- The under is 8-3 in the Knicks’ last 11 road games.
- New York is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games.
NBA player prop trends
- Gradey Dick has grabbed under 3.5 rebounds in four of his last five games. He’s averaging 2.1 rebounds per game this season. His line is at -115 to grab under 3.5 rebounds against the Knicks.
- Trent Jr. has recorded under 0.5 blocks in his last five games. He’s averaging 0.2 blocks per game this season. His line is at -350 to record under 0.5 blocks against the Knicks.
- DiVincenzo has made under 4.5 threes in eight of his last 10 games. He’s averaging 3.3 threes per game this season. His line is at -115 to make under 4.5 threes against the Raptors.
NBA bets to consider
- Parlay – Knicks moneyline, DiVincenzo over 21.5 points, Brunson over 6.5 assists: +250. DiVincenzo and Brunson are in great spots to hit their overs. With the spread set at -13.5 in favour of the Knicks and talented players like Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Hart playing, the Knicks should win easily against the depleted Raptors.
- Over 211.5 total points: -110. With Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo all playing over 25 minutes in the blowout win against the Pistons, there’s a good chance the over will hit if they do not get benched early.
