Toronto Raptors Must Put Another Game 1 Loss Behind Them

On Tuesday, Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference best of seven first round series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors will tip off from Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Milwaukee leads the series 1-0.

The current line has Toronto favored by 7.5 points with the over/under point total sitting on 193. Entering the game, Milwaukee is 6-4 straight up and 5-5 against the spread in its past 10 games played, while Toronto is 7-3 SU and 5-5 ATS over the same stretch.

Before Game 1, Toronto had beaten Milwaukee in 13 of its last 15 games during the regular season, but the Bucks came up big defeating the Raptors to open the series 97-83. The Raptors have now lost eight straight opening games of playoff series.

Milwaukee held the Raptors to just 32 points during the second half. The Bucks were led in scoring by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 28. The small forward led the team in scoring during the regular season.

Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points including 4 shots from 3-point territory, while Greg Monroe scored 14 points and pulled down 15 rebounds coming off the bench.

Toronto’s Kyle Lowry shot poorly in Game 1. The Raptors point guard missed each of his six attempts from 3-point territory and scored only 4 points on the night.

DeMar DeRozan led Toronto in scoring in Game 1 with 27 points, but hit just 7 of his 21 shots from the field. DeRozan now has a career shooting percentage for the postseason of just 39%. Both Lowry and DeRozan have struggled in the postseason since joining the NBA.

Milwaukee shooting guard Khris Middleton hit just 4 of his 15 shots from the field during Game 1 and has hit 36% of his shots in seven playoff games during his career.

Toronto power forward Serge Ibaka scored 19 points and hauled down 14 boards in Game 1. Ibaka was the only Toronto starter to make a shot from 3-point territory in Game 1.

Milwaukee is 3-8 ATS in its past 11 games following a win straight up.

Toronto is 6-1 ATS in its past 7 games following a loss against the spread.

Prediction: Toronto was embarrassed once again in an opening game of a playoff series, but will bounce back to win and cover Game 2.