The various TV networks (ESPN & TNT) have messed a bit with the NBA playoff schedule this week. Thus, there’s just one game on slate Thursday and it’s from the Eastern Conference as the second-seeded Toronto Raptors visit the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers, who opened a very slight underdog on the NBA odds.
How to Bet Raptors vs 76ers 2019 NBA Playoffs Odds & Game 3 Info
- When: Thursday, 8 PM ET
- Where: Wells Fargo Center
- TV: ESPN
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- Radio: 97.3 ESPN
- 2019 NBA Playoffs Odds: Toronto Raptors -1.5 (Total 216.5)
Why Bet on Toronto?
The Raptors split two games against Philly this season and won their last trip there, 119-107 on Feb. 5. Kawhi Leonard had 24 points, Philly native Kyle Lowry 20 and Serge Ibaka 20. Joel Embiid had 37 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers, who hadn’t yet acquired Tobias Harris. Ben Simmons had 20 points and Jimmy Butler 18.
Toronto dominated the Sixers in Game 1 of this series but couldn’t shoot straight in Monday’s 94-89 loss. Leonard’s 35 points weren’t enough. The 76ers switched Ben Simmons onto Leonard from the jump, and while it was effective early on with just four points in the first quarter, he eventually got himself going. Leonard finished 13-of-24 from the field and 6-of-7 from the line with seven rebounds, six assists, one steal and three triples in 42 minutes.
Pascal Siakam scored 21 points but hit just 9-of-25 from the field. Philly’s adjustment to move Joel Embiid onto him certainly helped slow him down. He still had a terrific game with seven rebounds, three assists, four steals, one block, and two triples. Kyle Lowry had 20 points.
Toronto’s bench was the big difference in Game 2, in a bad way. The Raptors got a combined five points from Norman Powell, Serge Ibaka, and Fred VanVleet. They are supposed to have the far superior bench. On the bright side, the Dinos have held opponents under .420 field goal shooting in all seven playoff games this season and under 100 points in six in a row. The 1954-55 Detroit Pistons hold the NBA record with eight consecutive playoffs holding opponents under .420 field goal shooting and 100 points five straight games.
Even with the Game 2 loss, Toronto is 22-4 against Philadelphia since the start of the 2013-14 season.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 113.63
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.32
- Three-Point Percentage: 36.50
- Free Throw Percentage: 80.49
- Total Rebounds: 44.97
Defense
- Total Score: 107.12
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.46
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.09
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.65
- Total Rebounds: 44.89
Why Bet on Philadelphia?
Sixers star center Joel Embiid was questionable for Game 2 with an illness, and he played but didn’t look quite 100 percent. Joel Embiid (illness) was held to 12 points on 2-of-7 shooting. He grabbed six rebounds with five assists, one block, and six turnovers. Embiid stepped up late with a beautiful pass to Jimmy Butler for a 3-pointer and blew past Marc Gasol with a spin move to seal the win.
Butler led the 76ers with a team-high 30 points. The 76ers brought him in to close games and that’s what he did with 12 points in the fourth quarter on a night in which Embiid and Ben Simmons were quiet offensively. Butler finished 9-of-22 from the field with 11 rebounds, five assists, one block, and four triples and will likely continue to be more aggressive on offense since he’s no longer the primary defender on Kawhi Leonard. The 30-point double-double was the first of Butler’s postseason career.
Backup center Greg Monroe left Game 2 with an ankle sprain. Monroe played just four minutes in Game 1, but the 76ers deployed him as the primary big off the bench in Game 2 and he played well with 10 points, five rebounds, one assist and one block in 12 minutes.
The Sixers limited Toronto to 36.3% shooting overall, and 27.0% on threes (10-37 3fgm). The Sixers also commanded the glass, 53-36, and outscored the Raptors by 11 from the free throw line on 11 extra attempts. Another decisive subplot was the contributions of the Sixers’ bench. They outscored their counterparts from Toronto, 26-5, while outrebounding the Raptors’ reserves, 15-6.
The win was the Sixers’ first in Canada since November 10th, 2012, halting a string of 14 straight defeats up North. It was also the first time the club has ever beaten a team with Kawhi Leonard on its roster.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 115.12
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.07
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.69
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.18
- Total Rebounds: 48.09
Defense
- Total Score: 112.11
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.30
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.96
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.09
- Total Rebounds: 43.22
Raptors vs 76ers 2019 NBA Playoffs Betting Trends
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings
- Over is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings in Philadelphia
- Home team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings
- Raptors are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games against Philadelphia
- Raptors are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto’s last 8 games
- 76ers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games this season
- 76ers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia’s last 5 games
Expert Final Score Prediction for Raptors vs 76ers
Toronto Raptors 111 – Philadelphia 76ers 109
