NBA odds, betting preview (Dec. 9): Knicks vs. Raptors predictions

The Toronto Raptors will wrap up a five-game homestand when they host the New York Knicks on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.

Toronto is coming off a 125-118 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, but the Raptors did cover the eight-point spread as underdogs. They’ll be looking to avoid a third straight loss on Monday after getting blown out by Oklahoma City last Thursday.

The Knicks, meanwhile, just enjoyed a 3-1 homestand, but it ended on a sour note with a 120-111 loss to Detroit. They trail the Boston Celtics by 4 1/2 games for the Atlantic Division lead and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference standings entering play Monday.

Let’s dive into the game odds for Monday’s clash between the Knicks and Raptors:

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Betting New York Knicks (14-9 SU, 11-11-1 ATS, 14-9 o/u)

The Knicks have been impressive on one end of the floor to this point, ranking first in the NBA in offensive rating (121.1), second in effective field goal percentage (58.3), second in true shooting percentage (61.5), and second in 3-point field goal percentage (39.8).

A major reason for the team’s offensive proficiency is Karl-Anthony Towns, who has fit in nicely in his new surroundings after being acquired in October by New York in a blockbuster trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo back the other way to Minnesota. He’s averaging 25.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per game, but he does have a questionable designation with a knee injury ahead of this matchup. His status should be closely monitored by bettors leading up to this evening, as his potential absence would leave a huge hole at the centre position with Mitchell Robinson (ankle) already on the shelf. This spread will certainly move in favour of the Raptors if he’s ruled out.

Betting Toronto Raptors (7-17 SU, 16-8 ATS, 12-12 o/u)

The Raptors are coming off losses to two elite opponents, but they battled back from a big deficit on Saturday to outscore the Mavericks 64-55 in the second half to make things interesting and cover the spread. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers (18-7) and Memphis Grizzlies (17-7-1) have better records against the spread than the Raptors this season.

Another positive for the Raptors is that they’re slowly getting healthy. Veteran forward Kelly Olynyk made his season debut on Saturday, leading all reserves with 13 points and four rebounds in just 14 minutes. He’ll be a nice addition to the bench rotation moving forward.

Scottie Barnes has been padding his stats recently, averaging nearly a triple-double over four games this month (22.3 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists). He recorded a career-high 14 assists on Saturday against the Mavericks and scored 19 points for his seventh double-double of the campaign.

Knicks vs. Raptors injuries

C Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is out for the Knicks. G Cameron Payne (elbow) and C Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) are questionable.

F Bruce Brown (conditioning) and G Immanuel Quickley (elbow) are out for the Raptors.

Knicks vs. Raptors betting trends

• The over is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings.
• The Knicks are 4-0 SU and 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings.
• Toronto is 9-3 ATS at home this season.

Knicks vs. Raptors player prop trends

• Jakob Poeltl has scored 17 points or more in four straight games, and he could have a very favourable matchup against Jericho Sims and/or Precious Achiuwa if Karl-Anthony Towns is sidelined on Monday night. You can find even-money odds on him to exceed his points line of 15.5 if you shop around.
• Scottie Barnes has beaten his assists line of 7.5 in five straight games and six of his last 10. You can get him at around -120 odds to beat that number if you think he can continue to have success distributing the ball against the Knicks.
• Scottie Barnes is also exceeding the expectations of oddsmakers from long range, draining two or more 3-pointers in seven straight games and eight of his last 10. He’s around -145 to continue the trend.
• If he suits up, Karl-Anthony Towns has recorded 12 consecutive double-doubles. You’ll have to pay steep -350 odds if you like him to keep the streak alive, though.
• There’s some value in backing Davion Mitchell to record a steal for the sixth straight game. He’s converted on that prop at a 63-percent rate this season, and you can get him at -105 odds (51.2 percent implied odds).
• OG Anuboby has failed to hit his points mark of 18.5 in five of his last six games, averaging 13.8 per contest during that span. He’s around -105 to record under 18.5 points against his former club.

Knicks vs. Raptors best bet

• RJ Barrett over 21.5 points: -120 (best odds at Betway). We’ve got a classic revenge spot here for Barrett against his former team, so he should have some extra motivation to put up some extra shots and stick it to the Knicks after they traded him to Toronto last December. Barrett has failed to hit this mark over his last two contests, but overall he’s been dynamite at home this season, averaging 27.7 points on 52.1 percent shooting. He’s beaten this points mark in eight of his last 10 home games.