Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Toronto Raptors Prediction, NBA Odds
The Raptors are playing well again as they return home Tuesday night to face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who will be without superstar and Toronto native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Yet OKC is still a 1.5-point favourite on the NBA odds with a total of 217.5.
Thunder vs. Raptors NBA Betting Odds
Early this NBA season, there was talk about Oklahoma City breaking the record of 73 regular-season wins set by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors. After all, the defending NBA champion Thunder started an incredible 24-1. But injuries have hit, and the team has fallen off. It can’t even get to 70 wins now and in fact doesn’t own the league’s best record currently. The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons do.
Note that this the front end of a back-to-back for both clubs, so healthy guys could sit the first leg and the Thunder aren’t healthy anyways. Out at a minimum are superstar and reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.8 PPG), a Toronto native, and All-Star forward Jalen Williams (17.5 PPG).
The Raptors eye the season sweep thanks to a 103-101 road upset on Jan. 25. Immanuel Quickley had one of his best games of the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds. No one else on the team had more than 14 points. The Thunder didn’t have Williams then, either, but SGA played and had 24 points and six assists. OKC leads the all-time series 36-22 and has won its past two in Toronto.
In the past 10 meetings overall, the Raptors are 4-6 SU but 6-4 ATS. The over-under is 6-4.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder were rare home underdogs on Sunday against a good Cleveland team because OKC was so short-handed due to injury yet jumped out to a shocking 28-5 lead and prevailed 121-113 – sometimes the NBA just makes no sense at all. Not only was OKC without its two best players but also key contributors Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain) and Alex Caruso (sprained left ankle). But it made 21 of 41 3-point attempts (51.2 per cent) and converted 17 turnovers into 31 points.
Isaiah Joe scored 22 points and Cason Wallace added 20 points and 10 assists. They are generally role players. It was Wallace’s first career double-double. The Thunder are a terrific defensive club averaging 22.8 points off turnovers per game, most in the NBA. Oklahoma City ranks fourth in steals per game (9.8) and second in turnovers forced per game (16.2). The total has gone over in eight straight OKC road games.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto finished a two-game trip at 2-0 thanks to a 122-94 blowout win at Milwaukee on Sunday. Injuries seem to be going the Raptors’ way these days as the Bucks were without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Immanuel Quickley led the Dinos with 32 points. They were without Scottie Barnes as he missed his first game since Jan. 9 for personal reasons after he was excused from practice leading up to the game for the same reason. Not clear yet on Tuesday.
Jakob Poeltl returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in Thursday’s win over Chicago. But Sandro Mamukelashvili was much more productive at the centre spot with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in just 23 minutes off the bench. Toronto is now 27-12 this season when scoring at least 110 points. It is 5-1 ATS in its past six games overall.
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