The Toronto Raptors are winless in two games against the New York Knicks so far in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, but will they finally be able to solve NY this Sunday? Or, will a former Raptors star in OG Anunoby help the Knicks silence Toronto again?

Catch this game live on Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 8:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Toronto Raptors (16-26/6-15 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

• Immanuel Quickley
• Gary Trent Jr.
• RJ Barrett
• Scottie Barnes
• Jontay Porter

The Raptors are indeed in a rebuild mode that has been further illuminated by recent trades that saw the team send cornerstones OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam to other teams via trades. They were not doing better with those two this season and things can get harder for Toronto going forward with those two pieces gone. Toronto has lost five of its last five games and is coming off a 116-110 loss at the hands of the Chicago Bulls at home on Friday. 

Although Anunoby and Siakam are gone, the Raptors still have Scottie Barnes, who just dropped 31 points on 11/18 shooting on the Bulls. Barnes has been a big thorn in the side and a menace to the Knicks this season, as he has averaged 24.5 points on 62.5 FG% and 40 3FG% in the two meetings with New York. Toronto, which is the No. 1 scoring team in transition with 17.9 fastbreak points per game, is 3-1 against the spread in its last four outings as the road team.

Home: New York Knicks (25-17/13-5 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

• Jalen Brunson
• Donte DiVincenzo
• OG Anunoby
• Julius Randle
• Isaiah Hartenstein

Christmas is over, but the Knicks keep getting presents from Anunoby, a gift that keeps giving to New York, which is fresh off a 113-109 victory at home against the Washington Wizards on Friday. In the 10 games he’s played in New York threads, Anunoby has racked up a plus/minus of +170. 

That’s the best plus/minus anyone has had in his first 10 games with a team ever in the history of the NBA. But still, the man who truly runs the show on the court in Gotham is Jalen Brunson, who exploded for 41 points on 14/27 shooting from the field and 11/13  from the free-throw line in the Wizards game. Don’t be surprised if he erupts anew this Sunday, considering the form he is currently in. Over the last three games, the former National Player of the Year has averaged 33.7 points on 50 FG%. The Knicks welcome Toronto with a 5-2 ATS record in their last seven home games.

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Knicks (-7.5) cover the spread.

Over/Under: The total (227) hits the Over.