Portland vs Toronto NBA Lines Analysis
Posted by Eric Williams on Thursday,March 3, 2016 3:58, EDT in
There is a NBA betting odds battle on Friday between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Toronto Raptors. The Portland Trail Blazers come into the game 7th in the Western Conference, just ½ game behind the Dallas Mavericks. Portland leads 8th seeded Houston by 2.5 games in the standings as well. Portland is coming off a loss to the Celtics in Boston, but have won 8 out of their last 10 games overall. For the Raptors, they picked up a win at home over the Jazz, and have won 7 of their last 10 games. Toronto is 40-19 on the season, and 22-6 at home.
How To Bet on Portland vs. Toronto NBA Odds, TV and Game Info
When: Friday, March 4, 2016 at 7:30 PM EST
Where: Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario
TV: TSNN, CSNNWHD
Radio: Rip City Radio 620, TSN Radio 1050 Toronto
Stream Option: CSNNW
NCAAB Odds: TBA
Why Bet on the Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have a great guard duo of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. Those two have emerged as one of the toughest to guard in the league. DeRozan is scoring just shy of 24 points per game, while Lowry is the catalyst, dishing out 6.4 assists per game. Toronto has turned into one of the toughest places in all of the NBA to win; with just their 6 losses at home. The Raptors as a team are scoring 102.4 points per game, but their bread and butter has been defensively, where they are allowing under 98 points per game. Toronto won 48 and 49 games the past two season, they need just 10 wins this season to reach 50.
Why Bet on the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland has struggled on the road this season, winning just 14 of 31 games. The Blazers had a three game losing streak going, until they allowed 116 at Boston. The Blazers are still a long ways back of Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division, but hold a 4 game lead on Utah for second place. Portland is led by their dynamic guard Damian Lillard with 25.3 points per game, and 6.9 assists per game. The Trail Blazers are scoring 103.5 points per game, which ranks 8th in the league. Portland is also Top 5 in rebounding, with just shy of 46 rebounds per game. Portland will likely not match their win total from a season ago, but still an impressive season after losing LaMarcus Aldridge to free agency.
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers are emerging as a great story in the National Basketball Association. The guard combination of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have been terrific. This will be a great matchup with DeRozan and Lowry against Lillard and McCollum. In the end, the deciding factor of this game will be the home crowd of the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors could really do themselves great favors to catch Cleveland in the Eastern Conference standings. Look for Toronto to win this game, but in the end, be pretty close. Take Toronto by 5 on Friday night in the NBA with the final score being Toronto 103 and Portland 98.
