The Eastern Conference is packed tightly with contenders at the top. The Toronto Raptors are currently in the catbird’s seat but there are plenty of teams on their heels. One of them is the Philadelphia 76ers, and these teams will face off this week in a critical regular season showdown.
Toronto has been the superior team early in the year but the 76ers get this game at home. It will be interesting to see how the oddsmakers handicap this game but it figures to be a competitive clash. This could be a preview of a playoff meeting as well since both of these teams figure to be pushing for the Eastern Conference crown.
The 76ers can pull Toronto closer to the rest of the pack with a victory in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers will be held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 22nd, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on NBATV.
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Odds Analysis
The Raptors have a record of 24-9 on the season. They have gone an impressive 12-5 away from home and will aim to continue that solid road mark. Toronto is just 5-5 in its past 10 games and will look to get hot again to keep the other teams in the East from tracking it down in the standings. The Raptors have the best record in the NBA despite the recent lull.
The 76ers are 21-12 on the year, which is well within striking distance of the Raptors. Philadelphia has enough talent to capture the East if everything goes well and winning a game like this would go a long way in that goal. The Raptors and 76ers are both among the higher-scoring teams in the NBA so this could have a high scoring total in NBA gambling.
Injury Report
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry missed his third straight game on Wednesday as Toronto took on the Pacers. After losing Lowry last Friday to a thigh bruise, the Raptors have gone 1-2. They lost their first two games without Lowry to the Trail Blazers and the Nuggets last weekend, but bounced back to beat Indiana on Wednesday.
Lowry is averaging 14.2 points and 10.0 assists per game this season. He is an important piece of the puzzle for Toronto so check back to see if he will be available for Saturday’s game because his presence will be a big boost to the Raptors’ chances of pulling out a victory.
Key Stat
3. That’s the number of losses the 76ers have been dealt in 18 games at home this year, so it will be a tough task for the Raptors to be able to knock them off, especially if Lowry doesn’t play. Philly’s three home losses have come against the Cavaliers, Nets and Pacers.
The losses to Brooklyn and Indiana have each come within the team’s last three games at home, and the 76ers hope their dominance returns in this one. They did rout the Knicks in their most recent home affair.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Raptors are a very good team and can hang with anyone, home or away, on a given night. However, the 76ers are healthy and at home, which gives them the slightest edge. Even if Lowry doesn’t play the Raptors should be able to hang around, but Philadelphia is the choice to win this game.
Keep an eye on the line to see which team makes more sense to choose to cover the spread in NBA betting lines.
NBA ATS Pick: Philadelphia 76ers 118, Toronto Raptors 114
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