After getting smacked around in their first meeting this season, Kawhi Leonard and the red-hot Toronto Raptors will be out for revenge when they host LaMarcus Aldridge and the San Antonio Spurs in their second and final meeting of the regular season on Friday night. While Leonard and the Raptors have taken off since the team’s made an offseason trade that sent Leonard to Toronto in exchange for all-star shooting guard DeMar DeRiozan, San Antonio has played solid, but certainly not great basketball since their roster-altering trade.
Now, let’s find out if Toronto can hold it down at home to cover the chalk or whether San Antonio is the pick to either win outright or cover the chalk.
How to Bet on Spurs vs Raptors NBA Spread & Expert Analysis
Back at it tomorrow! Wheels up to Toronto 🛫@BFGoodrichTires | #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/903wyV1NYp
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) 21 de febrero de 2019
- When: Friday, February 22, 2019 at 7:00 PM ET
- Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
- TV: ESPN, TSN
- Radio: San Antonio / Toronto
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Toronto -7.5 / Total: 227.5
Why Bet On San Antonio at +7.5?
Why should you consider betting on the Spurs as a 7.5-point road dog in this contest? The best reasons would be because they’re completely desperate to improve their playoff position over the second half of the season and they’ve got the knowledge that they already beat the Raptors once this season.
The Spurs have managed to snap a four-game losing streak by getting past Memphis 108-107 in their last game before the All-Star break on Feb. 12 as LaMarcus Aldridge led the way to victory with a double-double of 22 points with 11 rebounds. Patty Mills added 22 points off the bench while Rudy Gay approached a triple-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
The Spurs also pounded the Raptors 125-107 in an emotionally-charged affair that represented Leonard’s first contest in the city he led to their last NBA title. Now, DeMar DeRozan, a four-time all-star, makes his own return to the city where he starred and is still beloved.
“I think it’ll definitely be one for the ages,” DeRozan told TSN of his impending return. “It’s something where you think you’ve experienced everything, but that will be an interesting moment.”
San Antonio averages 112.3 points per game (13th) while allowing 111.6 points per contest defensively (16th).
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 112.34
- Field Goals: 47.87%
- Three Points: 40.87%
- Free Throws: 82.29%
- Rebounds: 44.05
- Average Score Against: 111.36
- Field Goals: 47.03%
- Three Points: 36.10%
- Free Throws: 75.68%
- Rebounds: 43.78
Why Bet On Toronto at -7.5?
Why should you consider backing Toronto in this matchup? There are a bunch of great reasons. First, the Raptors are on fire, having won six straight games and seven of their last eight overall, including a 129-120 win over Washington in their last game before the all-star break. With Leonard sitting out, Pascal Siakam put up a career-high 44 points while OG Anunoby added 22 points off the bench.
Another great reason to back Toronto is the fact that they are statistically better at both ends of the flor in averaging 114.3 points per game (6th) while limiting the opposition to 108.7 points per contest defensively (10th).
Last but not least, there’s the good old revenge factor and the fact that the raptors upgraded their roster by adding veteran big man Marc Gasol just prior to the trade deadline. In three games with the former league Defensive Player of the Year on the floor, Toronto has won all three games with the 34-year-old Gasol averaging 10 points in 20 minutes.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 114.32
- Field Goals: 47%
- Three Points: 34.66%
- Free Throws: 80.50%
- Rebounds: 45.15
- Average Score Against: 108.69
- Field Goals: 45.30%
- Three Points: 34.75%
- Free Throws: 76.57%
- Rebounds: 44.56
Spurs vs Raptors NBA Betting Trends
- San Antonio is 0-5 ATS in the last 5 games
- San Antonio is 1-4 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went OVER in 5 of San Antonio’s last 5 games
- Toronto is 3-6 ATS in the last 9 games
- Toronto is 5-0 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went UNDER in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games
Expert Analysis and Prediction for Spurs vs Raptors
While approximately 57 percent of public bettors are backing the Spurs to at least cover the chalk as decisive road dogs in this one, I like Toronto to get the huge win at home to cash in as 7.5-point home faves. Not only have the Raptors gone a stellar 24-5 at home this season, but San Antonio has a losing road record that is pretty ugly (11-19).
The Spurs are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games, 0-4 ATS in their last four games against a team with a winning record and 0-8 ATS in their last eight games overall. Conversely, the home team in this series has gone 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the Raptors have plenty of good reasons to lay an emphatic smackdown against a Spurs team that is now, clearly just average.
NBA Betting Pick: Toronto 114 San Antonio 105
