The Toronto Raptors (49-33) and their fourth-ranked offense welcome the Washington Wizards (46-36) and their fifth-ranked defense. Action begins at 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 18 and can be seen on ESPN.
The Raptors played well in their last game, topping the Hornets 92-87 on Wednesday. Kyle Lowry was the game’s leading scorer with 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting. The Wizards, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 113-108 loss against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Martell Webster led the game in scoring with 20 points.
Marcin Gortat has upped his play over the last five games for the Wizards, averaging 16.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 blocks.
This showdown pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Toronto currently ranks fourth in the NBA in offensive efficiency and Washington is fifth in defensive efficiency.
The Raptors have emerged victorious in all three games against the Wizards this year, escaping with a narrow 95-93 victory the last time these teams met. In the victory, Lou Williams led all scorers with 27 points.
The odds for Toronto and Washington are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Raptors have gone 49-33 Straight Up (SU) and 37-44-1 Against The Spread (ATS). While they boast a record of 16-10 against Eastern Conference opponents at home, they have struggled to beat the spread in those same games, going 10-16. The Raptors have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 101.6 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 points per game. The Raptors are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 19.3 per game. Toronto’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 96.8 during that span, compared to its 0.0 season average. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Toronto’s offense, which averages just 12.2 turnovers per game.
As for their opponent, the Wizards have 46-36 SU and 33-47-2 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Washington is 30-22 SU and 21-30-1 ATS. Offensively, the Wizards have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 points per game by averaging 101.0 during that stretch. The Wizards average 0.0 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 98.7 points per game during that span.
The Raptors’ win over Washington in their last game bumped their SU record to 7-3 over the Wizards in the last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Raptors hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Washington held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, while Toronto was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, ATS Winner – TOR
Notes
Washington’s offense and Toronto’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Washington puts up an average of 0.0 points per game, while Toronto gives up 0.0 points per game.
Washington and Toronto are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Washington scores an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Toronto allows 0.0 points at home on average.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Washington Wizards are a stellar 39-10. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Toronto Raptors have a poor record of 11-18.
The Washington Wizards have an abysmal 7-26 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Toronto Raptors are 38-15 when they hit the century mark.
The Raptors have a defensive rating of 104.7 (ranked 23rd), while the Wizards rank 22nd for their offensive rating of 101.1.
The Washington Wizards have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with a FG% of 46.2%. When their opponents have a similar or higher FG%, the Toronto Raptors are 19-25.
The Toronto Raptors rank lower for their field goal percentage (12th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (eighth), but the Washington Wizards have a better FG% ranking (sixth) than their EFF% ranking (13th).
On average, the Washington Wizards make 24.0 assists per game and the Toronto Raptors make 20.7. Washington is ranked sixth, while Toronto is ranked 22nd.
The Toronto Raptors average 4.4 blocks per game for a rank of 23rd. The Washington Wizards rank higher (16th), earning 4.6 blocks each contest.
The Toronto Raptors are a top-15 offensive rebounding team, currently ranked 15th for the season. The Washington Wizards rank near the very top (fifth) in defensive rebounding.
Toronto averages 7.5 steals per game. Washington is 30-25 when allowing at least 7 steals.
