Raptors vs. 76ers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Charlie Grant
There are few teams in the NBA who present as many matchup nightmares for opponents as the Philadelphia 76ers. The Raptors normally task Jonas Valanciunas with guarding All-Star centre Joel Embiid, but they’ll have to look elsewhere for answers when they visit Philadelphia on Tuesday.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Toronto is on the heels of a 121-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon. The club is still just 2-3 straight up in its last five games and 4-6 against the spread in its last 10.
The Raptors are 3.5 games up on the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in the East. They trail the Milwaukee Bucks by 1.5 games for the top overall seed in the conference.
The Dinos remain the favourites to win the Eastern Conference at +140. Philly, at +450, sits in fourth behind Toronto, Boston (+275) and Milwaukee (+350).
Total bettors are seeing an interesting trend develop with the Raptors in recent weeks. While the over is 30-24 on the season for the Drakes, the under is 6-2 in their last eight games.
The Sixers return home after going 2-2 straight up and against the spread (ATS) on their four-game trip to the West Coast. They are coming off a 115-108 loss to the Sacramento Kings as 3-point road chalk.
Philly smoked Toronto when the two sides last met just before Christmas, but that was without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings between these two clubs.
Toronto Raptors
There are few teams when the Raptors sorely miss their former starting pivot. The Sixers are one of those few matchups which call for a large dose of Valanciunas. He scored 23 or more points in two games against the 76ers this season, but he won’t be available for Tuesday’s tilt. The 7-foot, 265-pound big man is still recovering for his hand injury.
Valanciunas isn’t the only Raptor rotation player who’ll be missing in action. All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry missed the game against the Clippers and is expected to sit out on Tuesday because of a sore back.
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is a legit MVP candidate. The Sixers franchise centre is averaging 27.2 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He’s a force to be reckoned with on the low block and he often gets opponents in foul trouble. Only James Harden averages more free throw attempts per game this season than Embiid.
