The Toronto Raptors (30-15) look to extend their nine-game winning streak when they take on the New York Knicks (22-25) at the Air Canada Centre. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 28 and will air on TNT and TSN.
The Raptors beat the Wizards 106-89 on Tuesday. Kyle Lowry led all scorers on the team with 29 points on 8-for-14 shooting. The Knicks, meanwhile, are coming off a 128-122 loss at the hands of the Thunder on Tuesday. Langston Galloway had a team-high 21 points.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Knicks won the first game 111-109. DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high with 29 points.
The Raptors are attempting to build on their records of 30-15 Straight Up (SU) and 26-18-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 8-2 ATS over their last 10 games. The Raptors are a phenomenal shooting team from the line with 20.0 free throws made per game, one of the highest marks in the NBA. Transitioning to the Toronto defense, teams routinely struggle to score points against the Raptors, who allow only 96.6 points per game. Toronto has given up very few turnovers with only an average of 12.8 per game.
Across the court, New York has a SU record of 22-25 and an ATS record of 27-20. In divisional games, New York has gone 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS. New York has stepped up their play against division opponents. They have averaged 107.4 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 99.6. The Knicks are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with an NBA-best .813 free throw percentage.
With the Knicks’ last win against Toronto, the two teams’ head-to-head record is now an even 5-5 SU in their last 10 games. However, with a 7-3 record, the Knicks have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tor
Notes
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games at home.
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New York.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto’s last 5 games when playing New York.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 5 games when playing at home against New York.
Toronto is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against New York.
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York.
Toronto ranks 17th in points per game with 101.3, while New York ranks 14th in points allowed with an average of 101.2 given up.
Toronto ranks 13th in points per home game with 103.6 points, while New York ranks ninth in points allowed on the road with 101.2.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Raptors are 25-3 on the season. When the Knicks score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 5-21.
The Toronto Raptors have a poor 5-12 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The New York Knicks are 17-4 when they hit triple digits.
The Knicks have a defensive rating of 105.0 (ranked 19th). The Raptors rank sixth for their offensive rating of 106.3.
Toronto averages fewer possessions per game than New York, with 95.3 compared to 96.5. However, the Raptors score an average of 1.063 points per possession, more than the 1.032 that the Knicks score.
Toronto has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.8%. New York is a losing 5-12 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the New York Knicks make 20.6 assists per game and the Toronto Raptors make 18.5. New York is ranked 23rd, while Toronto is ranked 28th.
The Toronto Raptors average 5.2 blocks per game for a rank of 12th. The New York Knicks rank higher (seventh), earning 5.7 blocks each contest.
Toronto is ranked 20th when it comes to offensive rebounding. New York ranks 15th in defensive rebounds.
The Raptors record 8.3 steals per game on average (ranked 10th). The Knicks are 7-8 when allowing at least 8 steals.
