Tipping off at 7:00 p.m. EST across a mild five-game NBA slate, the Toronto Raptors will face off with the Washington Wizards.
This is the third and final matchup between these two Eastern Conference opponents on the season. The Raptors secured a 140-110 victory in their first matchup on November 21, but the Wizards claimed a 138-117 win in the most recent game between these two teams. This game took place on December 26.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s game, the Raptors are 13.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Wizards hold +575 odds of winning outright, with the game total set at 230.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Saturday night matchup.
Raptors vs. Wizards Preview
The Toronto Raptors remain in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-25 record on the season. They are looking to bounce back from back-to-back tough losses against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, and are 2-2 since returning from the All-Star break. On the season, the Raptors have gone 30-29 against the spread, and the game total has remained under in 36 of their 59 games played.
Darko Rajakovic’s squad is averaging 113.6 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the NBA. The Raptors also rank 19th in offensive rating, 13th in field goal percentage, 24th in three-point production and 20th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 111.8 points per game against Toronto, which is the eighth-best rate in the NBA. The Raptors also rank sixth in defensive rating, eighth in opponent field-goal percentage and fifth in opponent three-point percentage.
Scottie Barnes has taken another leap in his development this season, posting averages of 19.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Brandon Ingram is the top scoring option on the roster, leading the team with 21.8 points per game along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. RJ Barrett adds 17.9 points and 5.4 rebounds, while Immanuel Quickley contributes 17.3 points and a team-high 5.9 assists per game. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jakob Poeltl, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter also play key roles in the rotation. However, Collin Murray-Boyles is listed as doubtful for tonight with a thumb sprain.
The Washington Wizards sit in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with a 16-42 record this year. They are looking to snap a three-game losing streak and are 2-3 since the All-Star break. On the season, the Wizards are 24-34 against the spread, and the game total is 30-28 to the over/under.
The Wizards are scoring 111.9 points per game, which ranks 26th in the NBA. They also rank 29th in offensive rating, 26th in field goal percentage, 20th in three-point percentage, and seventh in pace. Defensively, Washington is holding teams to 122.8 points per game, which is the second-worst rate in the league. The Wizards also rank 28th in defensive rating, 21st in opponent field goal percentage, and 22nd in opponent three-point percentage.
Trae Young and Anthony Davis remain sidelined after each coming over in a trade this season. D’Angelo Russell is not with the team, Cam Whitmore is out for the season, and Alex Sarr is considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury. Kyshawn George is listed as probable with an ankle injury and is posting averages of 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Tre Johnson has impressed in his rookie season, contributing 12.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Jaden Hardy has played just four games with the organization, but is averaging 13.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Will Riley, and Tristan Vukcevic each also play notable roles in the rotation.
Raptors vs. Wizards Prediction, Best Bet
The outlook for each of these teams is much different for the remainder of the year. Washington continues on its path as a rebuilder and is content remaining near the bottom of the standings to maximize lottery odds. There have been some encouraging signs from the current young core this season, so expect next season to be the year the Wizards catapult into relevancy. In contrast, the Raptors have outperformed expectations on the season and find themselves in the postseason mix in an open Eastern Conference. Toronto will look to finish the season strong and maintain a top-six postseason seed.
While the Wizards have an exciting, youthful energy and positive takeaways on the season overall, it feels as if the bottom has fallen out to an extent. They are coming off back-to-back losses to the Hawks, which they dropped by a combined 245-194 margin. Washington failed to crack 100 points in either game and is allowing 124.3 points per game across its past 10 matchups.
The Wizards are just 24-34 against the spread this season, 15-22 ATS in conference matchups, and are 22-32 ATS when playing as an underdog. The Raptors are 17-11 against the spread when playing on the road this season, 22-19 ATS in conference games, and 7-6 ATS as away favorites.
The 13.5-point spread is notable, but both teams have tallied blowout wins against each other already this year. Toronto took its lumps in back-to-back losses to the Thunder and Spurs, but this will be a significant dip in competition level that plays to its favor. The Raptors won four of their last five games before this pair of losses. They have a high-level defense, which will be effective in slowing down a poor Wizards offensive attack, while Washington’s weak defense will pave the way for a respectable scoring output for the Raptors.
Toronto is attempting to transition from a feel-good story to a team that needs to be taken seriously from a postseason perspective. These are the types of matchups the Raptors must assert themselves in to accomplish this, so expect them to get the job done tonight. Count on the Raptors being the better team on both sides of the ball and for the Wizards to be unable to keep pace in a game that gradually slips to a blowout.
