76ers vs. Raptors Pick
Do the host Philadelphia 76ers have a good shot to down the Toronto Raptors at home despite the absence of star center Joel Embiid? Game time is 7PM ET.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada, the Raptors are listed as a 1.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under sits at 214 points.
Toronto comes in with a 20-8 overall record and 16-12 ATS after a 129-111 victory at the Hornets, its fourth consecutive win. Philadelphia is 14-16 overall and 16-13-1 ATS following a 101-95 home loss to the Kings, its third straight defeat. The Raptors won the first meeting by a count of 128-94 in Toronto on Oct. 21. Toronto is 4-1 straight up and 3-2 ATS in five meetings since the start of last season. The over has gone 4-1.
The Raptors were led by DeMar DeRozan with 28 points, eight assists and two rebounds in the win at Charlotte. Serge Ibaka contributed 24 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. OG Anunoby added 20 points, four rebounds and two assists. Toronto trailed by four points after one quarter, but outscored the hosts 41-21 in the second quarter.
Philadelphia was paced by Robert Covington with 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in the loss to Sacramento. Jerryd Bayless contributed 15 points and three rebounds off the bench. Ben Simmons contributed 13 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and three steals. The 76ers were outscored 30-17 in the fourth quarter.
Toronto is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings. The over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
Philadelphia is only 1-6 in games Embiid hasn’t played in this season. Although the Raptors are on a back-to-back with travel, it is playing better basketball at this time. It seems as though without Embiid, the 76ers are struggling to figure out who should be the go-to scorer in the fourth quarter. That coupled with the lack of a rim protector makes me side heavily with Toronto here.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: TORONTO RAPTORS -1.5