Raptors vs. Wizards: Game 3 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
With a 2-0 series lead, top-seeded Toronto can all but end its first-round playoff series with a victory at the Washington Wizards on Friday night as no team in NBA history has rallied to win a series after trailing 3-0. The Raptors are 0-2 in their postseason history in D.C. The scene shifts to Washington, D.C. on Friday night.
NBA Playoffs Point Spread and Betting Analysis
This regular season, Toronto was 1-1 at Washington. It lost there on Feb. 1, 122-119. The Wizards had eight players score in double figures, led by All-Star guard Bradley Beal’s 27. Toronto led by seven at halftime, but 25 of Beal’s 27 came in the second half. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry combined for 52 points in the loss. A team usually wins when it shoots at least 53 per cent from the field as the Raptors did.
On March 2, Toronto was a 102-95 winner at Washington. CJ Miles had 20 points to lead the Raptors’ Bench Mob, which outscored the Washington reserves a whopping 50-15. DeRozan chipped in 23. Otto Porter Jr. had 24 and Beal 23 for the Wizards.
The Raptors are now -3165 on the Sports Interaction series line with the Wizards +800. Toronto remains the +115 East favourite. Learn more about NBA point spread betting with our bet guide.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors set several franchise records during the regular season and added a few more in Tuesday’s 130-119 win over the Wizards to cover the spread for the second straight game in this series. The 130 points were a Toronto playoff record as were the team’s 44 first-quarter points (previous high in any postseason quarter 39) and 76 points at the half (previous mark 63), when it led by 18. The 76 were the third-most by any NBA team in any playoff half in the past 15 years.
DeRozan tied his playoff career high with 37 points, and the Raptors are now 9-3 all-time in the postseason when he scores at least 30. Lowry’s 12 assists were a personal playoff best. Jonas Valanciunas chipped in a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds. Fred VanVleet returned from his shoulder injury but was a bit rusty/ineffective and limited to three minutes.
Washington Wizards
Washington’s bench, often a weakness, actually played great in Game 2. Mike Scott had 20 points and was plus-13, newly-signed Ty Lawson had 14 points and eight assists and was plus-8, Kelly Oubre Jr. also had 14 points, and Ian Mahinmi chipped in 12 (and was plus-11). When the Wizards get that kind of production from reserves, they should win. However, Beal picked a bad time to have one of his worst games of the season, going 3-for-11 for just nine points. He was minus-34, the worst plus/minus rating by any Wizards player in the last 20 postseasons.
Marcin Gortat was invisible with zero points in 12 minutes. John Wall had 29 points and nine assists but was minus-15. And, clearly, the defence was porous overall – Beal had a few silly fouls on shooters, for example. Expect Coach Scott Brooks to alter his lineup in some form for Game 3 to improve the defence.
