Saturday brings eight NBA games to the schedule, including a matchup between the 5-4 Toronto Raptors and 5-3 Philadelphia 76ers. Both of these teams have shown potential in the early weeks as Brandon Ingram settles in with Scottie Barnes up north while standout rookie VJ Edgecombe joins Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. This one tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST with plenty of star power and betting upside, so strap in and get ready for the action.
Here’s a Raptors vs. 76ers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this Saturday special.
Raptors vs. 76ers prediction, preview
The Raptors are winners of four straight games after a sluggish start, but the rust is clearly knocked off now. Brandon Ingram didn’t play for Toronto due to injury after the team acquired him last season, but has settled in nicely as the leading scorer with 21.0 PPG while providing a much-needed go-to option. Scottie Barnes still remains a two-way star with 20.3 PPG, 5.0 assists and a team-high 7.2 rebounds a night while also shooting a very efficient 46.2% from three-point range. Meanwhile, RJ Barrett also averages 20.6 PPG, followed by Immanuel Quickley with 13.6 PPG and a team-best 6.3 assists. That’s a very solid top four, and a collection of role players like Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick, Jamal Shead and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles form one of the league’s better bench units. The Raptors fall 10th in NETRTG as well as top-10 in AST/TO, AST% and TS%, essentially lacking only in rebounding categories.
The 76ers have lost back-to-back games, so a change of fortunes is needed here to perhaps prevent a longer streak with a fairly tough schedule approaching in the coming weeks. Offensively, this is a dominant team headlined by Tyrese Maxey, the NBA’s leading scorer with 33.5 PPG along with 8.5 assists, also a team-high. However, the Sixers aren’t simply a one-man crew — Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. all average between 17 and 20 PPG themselves, creating an array of scoring threats who opponents must pick and choose to throw extra defenders at. Unsurprisingly, Philadelphia ranks third in OFFRTG and averages the second-most points in the league, and they’re in the NBA’s top half in both REB% and TS%. However, they’re 23rd in DEFRTG and it’s clear there’s work to be done on that side of the ball.
Raptors vs. 76ers pick, best bet
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the 76ers are -5.5 favorites as strong -205 favorites on the Moneyline. The Raptors hold +170 odds to upset with a game total of 236.5.
Toronto won’t have Jakob Poeltl available, but Jared McCain is available for Philadelphia and adds even more of a scoring punch off the bench. This game will come down to whether the Raptors’ offense can keep up with the Sixers’ own. At first glance, it’s a little tougher to see enough weapons to do so, but the Raps’ rotation is just as deep as their opponent’s and they’re both better and more versatile on the defensive side of things as well.
Sure, Philly keeps pouring in the points, but Toronto is significantly better than this roster gets credit for. Rebounding may prove a little tough against Embiid without Poeltl on the floor, but the visitors may surprise some people with a variety of long, rangy defenders to throw at Philly and slow down the scoring of everyone but Maxey. The Raptors have what it takes to compete in the East this season and should give their opponent a run for their money.
