It’s cup time in the NBA. We’re down to four teams in the Eastern Conference, and they’ll do battle for a spot in the NBA Cup Semifinals on Tuesday night. The nightcap is a matchup between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors, two teams that have been highly competitive to start the year. It’s a regular-season contest with a bit of extra oomph between these playoff and NBA Cup hopefuls.
The Knicks are 4.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re priced at -185 on the Moneyline, while the Knicks are +154 underdogs. The total for this game is set at 225.5 points. Let’s get into my preview, prediction, and pick for this Knicks vs. Raptors game.
Knicks vs. Raptors prediction, preview
If the season ended today, both the Knicks and the Raptors would have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. New York’s roster is full of star talents in their prime, and nobody is surprised to see them here. After an Eastern Conference Finals run this past season, they’re a serious contender to take control of the conference this year.
The Raptors are a bit more of a surprise. At 15-10, they have separated themselves from some teams on the Play-In bubble. The depth of this bench group combined with the athleticism and size of the starters has made for a potent formula. Scottie Barnes’ growth on both ends of the floor has driven their success.
But the cracks are starting to show. RJ Barrett’s absence has placed too much scoring burden on Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Immanuel Quickley. It also broke up the balance of their bench group. Head coach Darko Rajakovic walks a razor’s edge while trying to keep this team balanced.
So who will take a step closer to their first NBA Cup title?
Knicks vs. Raptors pick, best bet
It’s difficult to ignore Toronto’s rough run of play. The Raptors have lost five of their last six, including two brutal losses to the lowly Hornets and one blowout loss to these same Knicks. New York isn’t a world-beater, but the Knicks are consistently excellent on a game-to-game basis. One team has a lot more questions to answer than the other, so I’ll take the team that is more sure of itself.
