The Toronto Raptors have been one of the most impressive teams in the NBA early in the season and should keep it rolling at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves come to town with some young talent, but it has yet to translate into victories.
Toronto, meanwhile, is the essence of a team as a backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan leads the way but there are plenty of other key pieces. The Raptors are playing like the main challenger to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East and it would be huge to finish with a better record than them and get home court advantage in a potential playoff matchup.
Winning games like these are essential and the Raptors figure to take care of business against the Timberwolves.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, December 8, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at Air Canada Centre. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Toronto is 14-7 overall on the season and 14-6-1 against the spread. The Raptors have covered seven times in 12 home games with one push and are 8-5 against the spread as the favorite this year.
The Timberwolves are 6-14 overall and also 6-14 against the spread, as they fail to live up to expectations. Minnesota has covered just twice in nine attempts as the underdog and will aim to do better in this matchup.
Player to Watch
DeMar DeRozan – The Toronto shooting guard is leading the offense this season, averaging 27 points a game. DeRozan is also averaging 4.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds a game.
DeRozan is in his eighth season in the NBA and averaged 23 points a game last season for the Raptors. He scored a season-high 40 points twice this season, against the Pistons on October 26th and the Wizards on November 2.
DeRozan was a nice player early in his career but has really blossomed lately and has become of the league’s better players. The Timberwolves have some athletic wings who should theoretically be able to match up with him, but the Minnesota defense has been poor this year and DeRozan could be in line for a big game.
Key Stat
6. Toronto’s win streak, which was snapped last time out against the Cavaliers. The game was close as the Raptors showed they can hang but aren’t quite at Cleveland’s level. They need to start another one since the Cavs figure to play well the entire season.
The Raptors didn’t have a hot start to the season but have hit their groove and are 4-1 on their current home stand. It’s a big advantage to be at home this long and Toronto should be feeling good physically in this one. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, have lost seven of their past nine.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Timberwolves are led by a pair of burgeoning stars in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, but don’t have the experience to make a playoff push. The sum is not yet equal to the parts and Minnesota may need to add some veterans to bring some much-needed guidance to the group.
The Raptors are a perfect example of a team which plays well together. DeRozan has taken a star turn and Lowry is a top-tier point guard, and the rest of the starters play their roles well.
The Raptors will give the Timberwolves a lesson in team basketball, cruising to the home victory in this showdown.
NBA Odds: Raptors 110, Timberwolves 101
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