Those doing NBA betting know that Chris Bosh will be back in the line-up for the Toronto Raptors after missing six games with an ankle injury. In those games the Raptors struggled going 2-4 including embarrassing double digit losses to the Trail Blazers, Thunder and Rockets. The Knicks blew out the Pistons after getting handily beaten by both the Cavaliers and Grizzlies and have lost 10 of 12 going into Friday's game. This should be a no contest game as the Raptors are looking to get back to their winning ways and solidify their playoff position while the Knicks are far from a playoff spot and have already dumped the majority of their veterans at the deadline.
Primetime Performers
Knicks: David Lee is the only player worthy of star recognition left on New York. The team leader in points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage, he is in a position much like Chris Bosh three years ago. He will not get any sympathy from the Raps bigman and will need to have a strong game if the Knicks are going to stay in this game.
Raptors: Chris Bosh brings back 24.5 points and 11.4 rebounds a game along with his leadership presence on the court. Without him the Raptors looked lost on both ends of the court and were burned on defence to the tune of over 116 in three of the games he missed. There is no player on the Knicks team that can guard him and in the last game had a 27 point and 15 rebound performance.
X-Factors
Knicks: Al Harrington has been inserted into the starting line-up and in those two games he has put up 44 points. He has torched the Raptors this year for 51 points and 12 boards over two games. He and Lee make a solid offensive frontcourt but on the defensive end they are not the strongest tandem. Mobile, quick and with the ability to step out to score from the perimeter he will cause a matchup problem and should have another strong game.
Raptors: Betting services experts will remember that Andrea Bargnani had a monster 24 point, 12 rebound performance on January 15 against the Knicks in which he was five of six from downtown. He did have two points and three boards in the next matchup but that was an anomaly since he has only been held to single digits twice since November; the other was nine points. Averaging 17.4 points and 6.2 boards on the season while picking up almost two blocks a game in February, he has stepped up his game this year and is having a career year.
The Matchup
An expert sports handicapper will know that the Raptors will be a renewed team with the presence of Chris Bosh. He was eager to get back on the court but waited until his injury was healed instead of playing through it like he has in recent years. He knows that this team is playoff bound and the Raptors will show the Knicks what a playoff team looks like.
