The Washington Wizards (15-18) will be at home when they face the Toronto Raptors (22-15). Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Jan. 8 and can be seen on SNT and WA2.
The Wizards are hoping for a better outcome after their 121-115 loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Garrett Temple was the team’s leading scorer with 21 points. The Raptors, meanwhile, are coming off a 91-74 win against the Nets on Wednesday. Jonas Valanciunas claimed his seventh double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Second-chance opportunities could be few and far between for the Wizards in this one. They rank 27th in the league in offensive rebounding (offensive rebound percentage of just 20.5%), while Toronto is fifth-best in the NBA on the defensive glass (defensive rebound percentage of 77.8%). Also, the Raptors commit the fifth-fewest errors in the NBA (turnover percentage of 13.4%), while the disruptive defense of the Wizards causes the fourth-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.9%).
The Raptors have emerged victorious in both games against the Wizards this year, escaping with a narrow 94-91 victory the last time these teams met. In the victory, DeMar DeRozan led all scorers on the team with 34 points.
The Raptors are a slim one-point favorite over Washington. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 202 points. The Wizards have gone 15-18 Straight Up (SU) and 18-15 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3).
As for their opponent, the Raptors have a record of 19-17-1 ATS and 22-15 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Toronto is 14-8 SU and 11-11 ATS. The Raptors convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking third in the league at .794. Moving on to Toronto’s defense, the Raptors allow just 97.0 points per game, ranking them fourth in the league.
Toronto beat Washington in their most recent meeting this season, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Wizards lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tor, ATS Winner – Tor, O/U – Under
Notes
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington’s last 18 games when playing Toronto.
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto.
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto.
Washington ranks 16th in points per game with 101.1, while Toronto ranks fourth in points allowed with an average of 97.0 given up.
Washington ranks 14th in the league with 102.8 points per home game. Toronto gives up just 96.8 points per away game (ranked fourth).
The Washington Wizards have a winning record (10-3) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Toronto Raptors are 8-7 when they don’t hit triple digits.
The Washington Wizards have a subpar 5-15 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Toronto Raptors are 14-8 when they hit triple digits.
The Wizards have an offensive rating of 101.9 (ranked 19th). The Raptors rank 10th for their defensive rating of 101.6.
The Washington Wizards average 99.2 possessions per game and 1.019 points per possession, while the Toronto Raptors earn fewer possessions (95.0) but more points per possession (1.053).
The Washington Wizards average an effective field goal percentage of 50.1% this season. The Toronto Raptors have a losing record of 5-10 when opponents have an EFF% of 50.1% or greater.
On average, the Washington Wizards make 23.5 assists per game and the Toronto Raptors make 18.4. Washington is ranked sixth, while Toronto is ranked 29th.
Washington makes an average of 3.5 blocks per game (ranked 30th). Toronto ranks higher in blocks with 4.8 (ranked 16th).
Washington is ranked 28th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Toronto ranks 13th in defensive rebounds.
Making 8.6 steals per game, Washington is ranked seventh in the NBA. Toronto has a solid 13-7 record when it allows at least 8 steals.
