Raptors Favorites Versus Wizards In Game 2
The Toronto Raptors may only be down one game against the Washington Wizards but losing that one game was a stinger for multiple reasons.
For one, the Raptors did not seem to have an answer for the crafty veteran Paul Pierce. For two, they lost at home in overtime.
The Raptors are -5-point favorites against the Wizards tonight when the teams play 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV.
The odds are similar in Game 2Â to what they were in Game 1 when Washington upset Toronto as +5.5 underdogs. Pierce scored a total of 20 points and went 7-for-10 from the field. The Wizards were the only road team to win in the opening rounds of the playoffs. All this is going to give Pierce and the Wizards even more bravado as they step onto the court for Game 2.
Toronto wants to make good on their home court advantage and avoid hitting the road to Washington for Game 3 down 0-2 in the series. In order to do that, they will need to find a way to control Pierce without bringing their big men out of the paint, like they did in Game 1. Kyle Lowry will also need to avoid getting fouled out as he was benched in Game 1 with over two minutes left to play in the fourth quarter.
The Wizards have not made it easy on the Raptors to play with discipline, though. Pierce has gotten into the team’s head via interviews by downplaying the importance of the series and the talent of the Raptors, saying they do not have “the it” to worry him.
Washington may have been the worst team to bet on in the regular season going 33-47-2 against the spread, however, over its last seven games they have covered five times.
The total in Game 1 was set 196 points. The combined 179 points hit the UNDER by a huge margin. The total as dropped some, but still sits at 191 points. Seven of the last nine games between this two teams have sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. The total has gone UNDER overall in five of Toronto’s last six games.
