NBA Odds: Knicks (even)
The Atlantic’s top team will be on the road when the Toronto Raptors (37-20) head to Madison Square Garden to face off against the division rival New York Knicks (10-46). Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 28 and can be seen on SNN and MSG.
The Knicks are are expecting a better outcome after their 115-94 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Andrea Bargnani was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points. The Raptors, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 99-92 loss against the Mavericks on Tuesday. Greivis Vasquez had a good game for Toronto, accounting for 14 points, two assists, and one steal.
The prolific offense of the Raptors (third in the league with an offensive efficiency of 107.8) will look to pick apart the bottom-tier defense of the Knicks (28th in the NBA with a defensive efficiency of 107.6), a matchup that could favor Toronto.
The Raptors have emerged victorious in both games against the Knicks this year, including a 118-108 win the last time these two teams met. Kyle Lowry had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 22 points, four rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and two three-pointers.
The odds for New York and Toronto are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Knicks come into this game 10-46 Straight Up (SU) and 21-33-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 SU and 5-5 ATS against divisional opponents.
As for their opponent, the Raptors have 37-20 SU and 27-29-1 ATS records. Despite having a winning record against its own division, Toronto is unsuccessful ATS in those games with a record of 1-3. Offensively, they average 104.7 points per game, which is good for fifth in the league. The Raptors get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking third in the league with 1,116 made (19.6 per game).
In their previous meeting this season, Toronto beat New York, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 6-4. The Knicks lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. In these last 10 matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, ATS Winner – TOR
Notes
New York scores an average of 92.3 points per game (ranked 29th), while Toronto gives up 100.3 points per game (ranked 19th).
New York ranks 30th in points per home game with 91.4 points, while Toronto ranks 25th in points allowed on the road with 104.0.
In its last game, New York lost by a 21-point margin. Toronto is 6-3 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. New York has a 0-12 record in blowouts.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Raptors are 21-5 on the season. When the Knicks score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 6-40.
Toronto has a 16-15 record when allowing at least 100 points. New York has a 4-6 record when it hits triple digits.
Ranked third, the Raptors have an offensive rating of 107.8. The Knicks, on the other hand, rank 28th with a defensive rating of 107.6.
Toronto has an average field goal percentage of 45.4%. New York is a subpar 3-32 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Toronto Raptors rank lower for their field goal percentage (13th) than their effective field goal percentage (ninth), while the New York Knicks rank the same for both metrics (25th).
New York makes an average of 21.5 assists per game (ranked 16th), while Toronto makes 20.8 assists per game (ranked 21st).
New York makes an average of 4.0 blocks per game (ranked 27th). Toronto ranks higher in blocks with 4.5 (ranked 18th).
New York is ranked 17th in offensive rebounding. Toronto ranks 26th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Toronto makes 7.9 steals per game. New York is a subpar 7-32 when it gives up at least 7 steals.
