The Toronto Raptors have been in this position before, but they are hoping for an alternate ending in 2019. The Raptors have found great regular season success in the past several seasons but have not turned that into an NBA Finals appearance. The team now has Kawhi Leonard leading the way, which has it feeling confident as the playoffs arrive.
Toronto is the No. 2 seed in the East but it arguably draws the toughest first-round series among the contenders as it faces off against the Orlando Magic. While Orlando finished the regular season near the .500 mark, it was scorching hot down the stretch and will be upset-minded in this series in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball series between the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic will kick off on Saturday, April 13 at 5 p.m. ET from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA postseason.
Odds Analysis
The Magic finished the season with a record of 42-40 and used a hot finish to move up and secure a playoff spot. Orlando won four in a row to cap the season and enters the postseason winners of 11 out of 13. The Magic went 25-16 at home this year and 17-24 on the road.
The Raptors may not have been quite as hot as Orlando down the stretch but its entire body of work is much more impressive. Toronto finished the year with a mark of 58-24. The Raptors went a sparkling 32-9 at home and a solid 26-15 on the road. Toronto will be the clear favorite to win this series in NBA odds.
Season Series
Orlando held up well in the regular season series against Toronto, splitting the four games. The Raptors squeaked out a 93-91 win in the first matchup in mid-November, but the Magic evened things up with a 116-87 rout in December. Nikola Vucevic had a monster game for Orlando in that one, finishing with 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists.
Orlando picked up a nice road win over Toronto on February 24, coming away with the easy 113-98 victory. The Raptors got their revenge toward the end of the season, winning 121-109 at home on April 1. It was the Magic’s final loss of the regular season before reeling off the five straight wins.
Injury Report
The Raptors are healthy heading into the playoffs, but the Magic have a few injuries. Vucevic didn’t play in the season finale against Orlando due to an illness but seems likely to be ready to go for this series.
Orlando center Mo Bamba has a lower leg injury that has kept him out for a significant stretch. He is averaging 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game this season but it’s unknown when he will be back. Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is in the concussion protocol and it’s uncertain when he will be available. Isaac is averaging 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Orlando has found a groove, and if the matchup was better it would be a candidate to sneak away with this series victory. However, the Raptors have some big-time star power led by Leonard and plenty of depth.
Orlando could keep things interesting early in this series by stealing a road win against Toronto, but eventually the Raptors’ talent will be too much. Toronto is the pick to capture this series and move on to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Pick: Toronto Raptors to defeat Orlando Magic in six games
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