The Emirates NBA Cup has reached the knockout round and the New York Knicks (16-7) are one win away from a trip to Las Vegas for the semifinals.
Standing in the way of the Knicks are the Toronto Raptors (15-10), who went undefeated in Group Play and earned the outright No. 2 seed in the NBA Cup East standings.
In a battle between two top-four seeds in the East, Tuesday night will undoubtedly bring plenty of fireworks and intensity.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks enter this matchup as 5-point road favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Knicks vs. Raptors best guess, prediction
Luckily for Mike Brown, the Knicks have dominated this game lately, winning their last nine games against the Raptors. On November 30, six Knicks finished in double figures en route to a 116–94 win.
In that game, Karl Anthony-Towns scored 22 points, and Josh Hart flirted with a triple-double, adding 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Despite history being on the Knicks’ side, the Raptors’ front duo of Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram have built them into a playoff-caliber team.
Both versatile players are averaging over 20 points per game, and with Jakob Poeltl in the paint, the Raptors have surprisingly climbed into fourth place.
Unfortunately for Toronto, former Knicks Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett are the latest to be added to the injury report. Barrett is definitely out with a sprained knee, and Quickley is in danger of missing this one due to illness.
On the Knicks side, backup guards Miles McBride and Landry Shamet will be unavailable.
However, with a healthy OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson in the mix, the Knicks’ defensive prowess will be on full display during this quarterfinal match. Towns also logged a full practice on Monday after missing Sunday’s game against Orlando and was able to make his return.
As for Mikal Bridges, Hart and Brunson, this trio is used to performing well in win-or-go-home situations. Just ask a man named Jay Wright.
Brunson thrives in the Knicks’ new offensive sets of pace and space; he has eleven games with more than thirty points this season. He will be ranked 33rd against the Magic on Sunday.
As for Bridges and Hart, their catch-and-shoot ability from beyond the arc has improved as the season has progressed. After an abysmal start of 10% from three in October, Hart increased his three-point shooting to 42.9% in November and 40% in December.
Bridges knocked down a season-high eight threes against the Celtics on December 2.
Bet on the NBA?
For the Orange and Blue, the champion mentality must start here; this season tournament is the closest we’ll get to a playoff atmosphere until April rolls around.
Last night the limit was -4.5 and Tuesday afternoon it was -5.5. New York has scored five points in eight of its previous nine wins over the Raptors.
The Raptors are in the midst of a recent slump, losing three straight at Scotiabank Arena and five of their last six overall. I’m confident the Knicks will get 5.5 points in this spot.
With defensive anchors Anunoby and Robinson healthy, along with the Knicks’ offensive continuity, they should be able to overpower a strong Raptors team.
The Game: Knicks -5.5 (-105, BetMGM)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player betting for nearly three years. Mike also has a lot of knowledge of the sportsbooks on offer and regularly tries out the latest apps and sites.
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