It will be a battle between Atlantic Division opponents when the Philadelphia 76ers (14-16) welcome the Toronto Raptors (21-8) to Wells Fargo Center. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 21, 2017, and will air on CTV Sportsnet Toronto.
Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers Free Prediction
In the Raptors’ last contest, they thoroughly outplayed the Charlotte Hornets, 129-111. Toronto’s 0.626 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Charlotte, who had a mark of 0.500. The Raptors’ mark was above their season average of 0.546. With 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting, DeMar DeRozan was Toronto’s leading scorer.
The 76ers lost to the Sacramento Kings in their last outing, 101-95. Sacramento’s turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Philadelphia. The Kings had a rate of 10.6 (better than their season average of 13.4), while the 76ers posted a mark of 17.2 (above the 13.6 mark opponents have averaged against Sacramento this season). Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons contributed 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in the game.
Philadelphia might have difficulty putting up points as they battle against one of the NBA’s best defenses. Toronto ranks sixth in defensive efficiency while the 76ers rank 17th in offensive efficiency. The Raptors should be expected to protect the ball well. They rank 5th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 13.2 percent), while the 76ers force the fifth-fewest turnovers in the league (opponents’ turnover percentage of 13.3 percent).
Toronto holds records of 21-8 straight up (SU) and 16-12 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Raptors games, with 15 unders compared to 13 overs.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia owns records of 14-16 SU and 16-14 ATS. Unlike Toronto, games including the 76ers have a slight tendency to finish over the total (53.3 percent).
Dario Saric has averaged 17.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the last five games for Philadelphia.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, DeRozan scored a game-high 30 points and the Raptors beat the 76ers 128-94, covering as 9-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 222 points, which was just 2.5 points above the projected point total of 219.5 points. The Raptors had a much better turnover percentage (11.0 vs. 17.0) and had a better free throw rate (0.348 vs. 0.268).
Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers Odds Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – 76ers, ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Toronto is 9-7 ATS on the road with 10 unders and 6 overs.
At home, Philadelphia is 8-7 ATS with 9 unders and 6 overs.
In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Toronto is 9-2 and Philadelphia is 4-0.
The Raptors are 20-4 when they reach the century mark, while the 76ers are 13-10.
Toronto ranks fourth in blocks per game (5.5) while Philadelphia ranks last in blocks allowed per game (5.9).
The Raptors average 20.0 points off turnovers per game, which ranks first in the NBA. The 76ers rank 25th in points off turnovers allowed per game (18.8).
Toronto averages 8.3 steals per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. Philadelphia ranks 29th in steals allowed per game (9.2).
The 76ers average 14.8 second chance points per game, which ranks second in the NBA. The Raptors rank 22nd in second chance points allowed per game (13.4).
Toronto ranks third in three pointers allowed per game (25.9) while Philadelphia ranks 22nd (30.1).
The 76ers rank first in rebounds per game (48.9) while the Raptors rank 20th (42.0).
Toronto ranks fifth in fast break points per game (14.9) while Philadelphia ranks 19th (9.5).
The 76ers rank sixth in points in the paint per game (47.1) while the Raptors rank 15th in points allowed in the paint per game (43.4).
Philadelphia ranks third in assists per game (26.4) while Toronto ranks 10th in assists allowed per game (21.8).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Toronto is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Raptors’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 13.4, up from 8.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the 76ers have scored an average of 113.8 points per game (5.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 116.0 points per game (6.7 above their season average).
