NBA Basketball
2026-03-03 - New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Basketball
Tuesday 3rd March 2026 - Scheduled 7:30pm
12:30pm (British Time)
Preview
Both of these teams will be expecting to take part in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs in April, but that does not mean they share the same end goal.
Of course every team in every League have ambitions to win titles/Championships, but some are further along than others.
That is how you would feel about the Toronto Raptors (35-25), who are still transitioning to become one of the best teams in the NBA, and the New York Knicks (39-22), who will only see a NBA Championship as representing a successful season.
This is the fourth and final regular season meeting between the current Number 5 Seed and the Number 3 Seed in the Eastern Conference and it is the New York Knicks who have won all three previous meetings. That actually makes it eleven in a row against the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks are playing with enough momentum to believe they can keep that going.
New York may have returned from the All Star Break with a loss to the Detroit Pistons, but they have won four of the next five games. The win over the San Antonio Spurs will have given the players a shot of confidence seeing as both defeats since the All Star Break have been against the Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers and beaten an elite opponent can give the Knicks that belief they can face up against the best.
Failing to do that has been one of the big Toronto issues and the main reason they will not be expected to be a team having a deep post-season run.
The Raptors will be tested by a Knicks Defensive unit that have increased the intensity in recent games, while the other challenge is stopping them on the other side of the court.
The road team look well balanced when they have the ball in hands and it certainly means the Knicks look right to be favoured to win up North again. They did that at the end of January in a blowout here and it looks like the Knicks may have a little too much for the Toronto Raptors again, even if the 27 point margin from that day is closer this time around.
Closer does not mean covering though and the Knicks have enough momentum to believe they can keep the dominant run moving against this opponent.
Prediction
Lay the points with the road favourite in this game.
The Pick :
Toronto Raptors 103-111 New York Knicks
