The Toronto Raptors had the best record in the NBA for a significant stretch of time but have lost hold of that and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t too far behind them in the standings and can inch closer when these teams face off in a big-time clash this week.
Toronto has been the better team on the season but the 76ers are at home, where they have been dominant. Philadelphia would love to grab this win and pull closer to the Raptors for the No. 2 seed in the East as the regular season hits its stretch run.
While the Warriors are the class of the Western Conference, the East could go to any number of teams. The 76ers and Raptors are among the best so this could be a great game and a preview of a playoff series in NBA betting lines.
This NBA basketball game between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers will be held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 5th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
The Raptors are 37-16 on the season. They have won six of their past 10 games, which is usually decent, but have allowed the Bucks to surpass them in the East and the 76ers to pull closer because the other two have been good. Toronto has done a nice job on the road this year with a 16-11 record and would love to claim a solid victory in this one.
The 76ers are 34-19 on the year. They have won seven of their past 10 and had a big win over the Warriors recently, but lost to the Kings last time out. Philadelphia is three games behind the Raptors, so a win would pull them close while a loss would make it tough for the 76ers to catch Toronto down the stretch.
The 76ers are one of the highest-scoring teams in the league and the Raptors aren’t too far behind so this one could be a shootout in NBA wagering.
Key Stat
21. That’s the number of wins for Philadelphia at home this season in 26 attempts. It is one of the best home marks in the NBA and the main reason why the 76ers figure to be slight favorites in this showdown.
This is the fourth straight tough home game for the 76ers. They started the slate with a two-point home loss to the Thunder, but bounced back with wins over the Rockets and Spurs. Philly can beat anyone in the NBA on its home court, but Toronto is a very talented team capable of winning this game as well, so it should be an intriguing matchup.
Matchup To Watch
Serge Ibaka vs. Joel Embiid -- The 76ers have one of the best big men in the NBA in Embiid. He is averaging 27.2 points and 13.4 rebounds per game this season, hitting full-blown superstardom this season.
Ibaka isn’t as celebrated but he is a very good player in his own right. The Toronto big man is averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest. Ibaka is a good defender and when he takes on Embiid it will be interesting to see who gets the best of the matchup.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Raptors are a really good team and have been better than the 76ers all year. If this game was being played at a neutral site Toronto would have the edge, but Philly gets the benefit of the home court advantage. Look for the 76ers to make the most of the situation and pick up a much-needed win in NBA gambling.
This one should come down to the wire so the Raptors could be the pick to cover.
NBA ATS Pick: Philadelphia 76ers 115, Toronto Raptors 113
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