Raptors vs. Knicks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Jan. 8

The Knicks are favored at home against the Raptors on Wednesday night.

The Knicks are favored at home against Toronto. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are in the midst of a three-game losing streak after a terrible shooting performance on Monday night against the Orlando Magic.

Karl-Anthony Towns missed that game with a knee injury, and he’s listed as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with the eight-win Toronto Raptors.

Toronto finally has Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl all in action, but they were blown out by 24 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. 

New York beat the Raptors by five points in Toronto and 14 in New York earlier this season, and oddsmakers have them favored by 11.5 points on Wednesday.

Will they be able to get back on track?

Here’s a look at the latest odds, players to consider in the prop market and my prediction for this Atlantic Division clash. 

Raptors vs. Knicks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Raptors +11.5 (-112)
• Knicks -11.5 (-108)

Moneyline

• Raptors: +440
• Knicks: -600

Total

• 231.5 (Over -102/Under -118)
  

Raptors vs. Knicks How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Jan. 7
• Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: Madison Square Garden
• How to Watch (TV): MSG, TSN
• Raptors record: 8-28
• Knicks record: 24-13

Raptors vs. Knicks Injury Reports

Raptors Injury Report

• Jamison Battle – out
• AJ Lawson – out
• Ulrich Chomche – out
• Jonathan Mogbo – out

Knicks Injury Report

• Mitchell Robinson – out
• Kevin McCullar Jr. – out
• Karl-Anthony Towns – questionable
• Miles McBride – questionable

Raptors vs. Knicks Best NBA Prop Bets

Toronto Raptors Best NBA Prop Bet

• RJ Barrett OVER 20.5 Points (-110)

So far this season, Barrett has torched his former team, scoring 30 and 23 points in two games against them.

With Quickley struggling with his shot since returning (7-for-27 over the last two games), I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Raptors lean on RJ in this one. He scored 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting in his last game, and Barrett is averaging a career-high 18.5 shots per game. That gives him a tremendous floor when it comes to this prop on Wednesday night. 

New York Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Josh Hart OVER 9.5 Rebounds (-115)

I’d like this prop even more if Towns isn’t able to go again on Wednesday, but Josh Hart has 11 or more rebounds in seven of his last eight games.

Over that stretch, Hart is averaging 12.8 rebounds per game, and he’s putting up 9.1 rebounds on 15.6 rebounds chances per game this season.

The Raptors do rank 12th in opponent rebounds per game this season, but they are also just 23rd in effective field goal percentage, so there should be plenty of misses for Hart to scoop up. 

Raptors vs. Knicks Prediction and Pick

The Knicks and Raptors played a very high-scoring game their last time out, but New York's offense has struggled a bit as of late, falling short of this combined total in three of its last five games.

While the Raptors aren't a good defensive team, they rank just 24th in offensive rating on the season, so there's a chance this could be a struggle for both sides if the Knicks' slump continues.

With Miles McBride and Towns questionable, the Knicks have way fewer options for offense in their rotation. Plus, New York loves to slow the game down into a half-court affair, ranking 25th in the NBA in pace.

Toronto's road woes (1-15 straight up) aren't a random coincidence either. The Raptors are 10-6 to the UNDER on the road, as they rank 22nd in the NBA in road points per game.

Pick: UNDER 231.5 (-118)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.