NBA odds, betting preview (Oct. 25): 76ers vs. Raptors predictions

The Toronto Raptors will look to rebound from a lopsided season-opening loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers when they host the Philadelphia 76ers at Scotiabank Arena on Friday.

Cleveland cruised to a 136-106 road victory over Toronto on Wednesday, easily covering the 6.5-point spread as favourites.

The Raptors were without the services of four players due to injury heading into the contest, and then they lost Immanuel Quickley in the first half due to a pelvic contusion.

The Sixers, meanwhile, dropped their opening contest, 124-109, to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Milwaukee easily covered the four-point spread as favourites against the 76ers, who were without stars Paul George and Joel Embiid due to injuries.

Let’s take a look at the game odds for Friday’s clash between the 76ers and Raptors:

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76ers vs. Raptors odds

Betting Philadelphia 76ers (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 1-0 o/u)

The Sixers opened the season with around +1000 odds at most sportsbooks to win the NBA title with a season win total of around 50. And those title odds were even longer at around +1600 prior to them acquiring Paul George in July.

However, the Sixers opened the season without Joel Embiid and Paul George due to knee injuries, leaving Tyrese Maxey to fend for himself against the Bucks in their opener. Maxey put up 31 field goal attempts, converting on just 10 of those opportunities for a team-high 25 points in the loss. Veterans Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry, and Eric Gordon logged more minutes than usual (at least 22 each) with the two superstars sidelined.

Seeding is of course important heading into the playoffs, but the Sixers’ priority this season will be keeping Paul George and Joel Embiid healthy for a potential deep playoff run when it matters most. That’s important for bettors to note so they don’t overvalue them throughout the regular season.

Betting Toronto Raptors (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 1-0 o/u)

The season opener didn’t go as planned for the Raptors, who had several team legends in the building to help commemorate the team’s 30th anniversary on Wednesday. Toronto looked good in the first quarter, putting up 32 points to only trail by a single point, but the floodgates opened in the second quarter when the Cavaliers outscored the Raptors 36-17. To make matters worse, Immanuel Quickley succumbed to injury late in the first half and didn’t return, further complicating matters for the shorthanded Raptors.

Scottie Barnes returned to meaningful action for the first time since breaking his hand last March, but he put up a disappointing stat line of nine points, six rebounds, and five assists in just under 26 minutes of action. Fresh off signing a lucrative five-year extension with the Raptors, Barnes will have to be much better Friday, especially with all of the team’s injury woes.

76ers vs. Raptors injuries

C Joel Embiid and F Paul George are both out with knee injuries for the Sixers, while F Caleb Martin (calf) is probable.

For the Raptors, F Bruce Brown (knee), F Kelly Olynyk (back), and G Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) are out. G Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) and G RJ Barrett (shoulder) are doubtful.

76ers vs. Raptors betting trends

• The Sixers have won seven straight games against the Raptors and are 6-1 ATS in that span.
• The Raptors are 2-20 SU in their past 22 games dating back to last season.

76ers vs. Raptors player prop trends

• Chris Boucher has scored 11 points or more in each of his past three games dating back to last season, averaging 15 per game during that span. Most sportsbooks have his points line at over/under 8.5 (-around 125 odds on the over) heading into this matchup, and he should play a more significant role offensively due to Toronto’s injury woes.
• Ochai Agbaji will likely draw a second straight start and could be a good wager to exceed his totals in the steals + blocks betting category at 1.5 (around -135 odds on the over). He’s surpassed that mark in three straight games dating back to last season and should play significant minutes on Friday.
• Most sportsbooks have Tyrese Maxey’s points line set at 29.5, a number he’s only exceeded in three of his last 10 games dating back to last season. However, he’ll likely log close to 40 minutes with the team’s other two superstars sidelined on Friday, and shoot much better than 32% from the field like he did against the Bucks when he still logged 25 points. If you shop around, you can snag Maxey at around -105 odds to score 30 or more points.

76ers vs. Raptors predictions

• This is going to be an ugly game from both sides, and fans that bought tickets hoping to see Philadelphia’s superstars in Toronto are going to be incredibly disappointed. It’s a tough matchup to call on the spread and game total due to all of the injuries, so hone in on some of the player props mentioned above. This is the first half of a back-to-back for the Raptors, which means players coming off the bench (like Chris Boucher) should see even more minutes than usual. I believe oddsmakers are undervaluing Boucher’s points line at 8.5, so back the over on that prop up to -130 odds.

The post NBA odds, betting preview (Oct. 25): 76ers vs. Raptors predictions first appeared on Raptors Republic.