It hasn’t been as easy as hoped, but a win last time out has given the Toronto Raptors a 3-2 lead in their first round series against the No. 8 seed Washington Wizards. Toronto has yet to win a road game in this series but breaking through in Game 6 would wrap up the series and send them on to the second round.
The Wizards don’t want to see that happen, and with a raucous home crowd behind them, there will be confidence that they can push this series to the brink. The Raptors are among the projected favorites to advance out of the Eastern Conference and make it to the NBA Finals, but are getting a tough test in the first round.
They have not been great in the postseason in past years and are not off to the best of starts, but winning this series would get them a step closer to that goal. This has been an intriguing series to watch and Game 6 should be full of intensity with the Wizards playing for the playoff lives in NBA basketball odds.
Game 6 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Friday, April 27, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. The contest will be nationally televised.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The Wizards are listed as slight two-point favorites. They took care of business in both previous games at home in this series and would love to do so again. The betting public is showing confidence in the Wizards, as they are getting the majority of the action to cover the spread.
The scoring total has been listed at 214.5 points. Thus far through five games in this series, three of them have come in above that total, but the past two have been more defensive affairs.
Washington will be the slight favorite on the moneyline to win Game 6. The Raptors are a good choice on the moneyline if bettors have confidence in them to pull out the win, as the spread makes it unlikely they will cover with a loss.
Last Time Out
The fifth game of the series was tight heading into the fourth quarter but the Raptors made enough big plays to pull away. Toronto led by only four points with three minutes remaining but played well on the final handful of possessions. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 32 points and five assists. Delon Wright played a critical role off the bench, pouring in 18 points.
The Wizards were led by John Wall, who had 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. The Wizards made only 5-of-26 attempts from three-point range, and that inefficiency helped doom their upset chances.
Matchup To Watch
Raptors guards vs. Wizards guards – The best players on each team reside in the backcourt, and the duo that gets the upper hand in this game could help lead their team to victory. DeRozan is Toronto’s best player and when he plays well it is a big-time boost to his team’s chances. Point guard Kyle Lowry is the other integral piece for the Raptors and he is a threat both scoring and passing the ball.
The Wizards counter with star point guard Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal. Wall missed several weeks during the regular season with a knee injury but has put together some nice performances in this series. He has averaged 26.8 points and 13.0 assists per game in this series.
Beal is a talented sidekick who regularly fills the hoop. These players know each other well after going head-to-head for five straight games. Efficiency is the name of the game, as the duo that shoots better could very well lead their team to a crucial victory.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Wizards have done a nice job of keeping this series competitive as a No. 8 seed but their run is going to end here. Toronto isn’t a perfect team but it is the superior squad, and that will show up in this critical matchup.
DeRozan should have a big game to help the Raptors clinch this first round series on the road. Take Toronto to win on the moneyline instead of covering the spread as the Raptors should do both but the moneyline will have better odds. The “over” is a good bet as this one will have no shortage of offense.
It remains to be seen if the Raptors can truly make a deep run in the East but they will make it to the second round with a victory in this matchup in NBA basketball gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Raptors 114, Wizards 109
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