Toronto vs Washington Odds, Betting Pick & TV Info

Posted by Michael Hunt on Thursday,March 2, 2017 8:39, EDT in

NBA News, Betting Tips, Picks & Previews

Friday night’s game between Toronto and Washington is the last meeting of the season between the teams and that’s important because they are battling for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, we won’t see a matchup of All-Star point guards in the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and Wizards’ John Wall because Lowry is hurt. Thus the Wiz will be NBA betting favorites here.

Toronto vs Washington Odds, Betting Pick & TV Info

When: Friday, March 3, 7 PM ET
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
TV: NBA League Pass
Stream: NBA.tv
Radio: Toronto / Washington
NBA Odds: Wizards favored by TBA

Why Bet on Raptors?

In this game, I probably wouldn’t because of Lowry. He was ruled out the rest of the regular season following wrist surgery on Tuesday to remove loose bodies. He hurt he wrist on Feb. 15 but played in the All-Star Game and Three-Point Contest but not since. Entering this week, Lowry ranked No. 4 in the NBA in ESPN’s real plus/minus category at 6.38. That is a player’s estimated on-court impact on team performance, measured in net point differential per 100 offensive and defensive possessions.

In RPM wins, which is an estimate of the number of wins each player has contributed to his team’s total on the season, Lowry was first in the NBA at 12.55. Westbrook, by comparison, was fourth at 11.74. Lowry, 30, led the NBA in minutes per game at 37.7 while averaging 22.8 points, 6.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Cory Joseph has been starting in his place. Lowry might get back to play a couple of games before the regular season ends if there are no setbacks.

Toronto will need fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan to step up with Lowry out. DeRozan is averaging a career-high 27.9 points, while shooting a career-best .850 from the free throw line. He ranks sixth in the NBA with 16 games of 10+ free throws made this season.

Jonas Valanciunas has scored in double figures in nine of the last 10 games. He averaged 13.7 points, while shooting .627 (64-for- 102) from the field in 11 games last month. Valanciunas has shot at least 50 percent from the field in each of the last nine games (Feb. 5-27).

Toronto’s defense ranks third in the NBA holding opponents to 94.8 points and eighth in opponent field goal percentage (.435).

Why Bet on Washington?

Even though Wall has been tremendous, he can’t play all 48 minutes. The ball doesn’t always have to be in Wall's hands for the Wizards to make plays because Bradley Beal can do it, too, though that shouldn’t be a major revelation. Beal has been playing a bit at point guard to give Wall a break.

There is backup point guard help on the way on former Knick Brandon Jennings, who was released by New York early this week, cleared waivers and signed with Washington. This season, Jennings has averaged 8.6 points, 4.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 24.6 minutes. Jennings has an interesting past with the Wizards. During a preseason game against them, Jennings got involved in a light confrontation with Casper Ware, a training camp invitee who was later cut. Jennings talked trash, delivered a hard foul and taunted Ware by enthusiastically clapping his hands while playing defense. Then, during a Nov. 17 meeting between the Wizards and the Knicks, Wall seemed to get revenge by mimicking the move — clapping his hands in Jennings’s face.

The Wizards are shooting .475 from the field, good for third best in the NBA (second in East, Milwaukee .477). Wall has had at least 20 pts and 10 asts in eight of the last nine games (19 times this season – Wizards are 14-5 in those games). Beal is one of nine players to have four 40+ point games this season, one of three players in the East to do so Otto Porter Jr. has scored 15+ points 23 times this season (Wizards are 15-8) in those games, 9-4 when scoring 20+ points. Markieff Morris averages 15.1 points on .475 shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists vs. Eastern Conference teams this season. Marcin Gortat is one of six centers to average a point-rebound double-double and have at least 30 double-doubles.

Washington (24) only trails Golden State and Cleveland for the most home wins (26) in the NBA.