Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction, Spread and Trends to Watch - 04/25/2022

by James Q

Sunday, Apr 24, 2022

Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction, Spread and Trends to Watch - 04/25/2022

Game Time: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, April 25th, 2022 
Venue:   Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Where to Watch: NBA TV

Opening NBA Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Sixers -7.5; O/U 209.5
Fanduel:  Sixers -7.5; O/U 210
BetMGM:  Sixers -7.5; O/U 209.5

NBA Standings

Raptors: 48-34, 5th place Eastern Conference; 1-3 in the series
76ers: 51-31, 4th place Eastern Conference; 3-1 in the series

An NBA first round Eastern Conference matchup that has been given a slight reprieve from the threat of a sweep.  The Toronot Raptors were down 0-3 in the series and were 0-3 ATS.  Everyone thought SWEEP!  Everyone.  Then the Raptors pulled out a gutty game on their home court to get a 110-102 win. But before you go patting the Raptors on the back… you have to notice that the Sixers had an awful game.  Sure you could chalk up the win to PF Pascal Siakim having 34 points for Toronto or SG Gary Trent Jr having 24 points for the Raptors… both helping to overcome a terrible performance by PG Fred VanVleet… but the truth is the Sixers were wiped out.  The Sixers had 15 turnovers as a team and shot 34-80 from the field for 42% FG shooting… loose balls, bad calls, hands on knees… Nothing went the Sixers way.  The Sixers are built to rely heavily on C Joel Embiid and they got 21 pts and 8 rebs form him… which for Embiid is a very small game.  The Sixers have gotten used to not having their minds blown by SG James Harden… and though any other team would appreciate 22 points and 9 assists from a gerd… in Philly everyone still scratches their heads and wonders what is up… Is he saving his energy for later?  The big fumble was Philly PG Tyrese Maxey who briefly fumbled his new star status with just 11 points in 40 minutes of play while shooting 4-12.  If any of those players had had a better game… they would have a long break while waiting for the next round.  Instead the series goes back to Philadelphia where at least one of those 3 is guaranteed to have a better performance and possibly all three will.

The Toronto Raptors are 1-3 in the series and 1-3 ATS.  They have been talking a beating, mostly because they do not have a true center anywhere on their roster.  To make matters worse rookie Swiss Army Knife Scottie Barnes sustained an injury and is being worked back into the line-up in small bursts.  The triumvirate of back-up Power forwards: Khem Birch, Precious Anchiuwa, and Chris Boucher rotate at the Center position… from time to time one of them creates a powerfully athletic moment and stuns the crowd… but overall it simply means they have no Center and PF Pascal Siakim has to help defensively in Joel Embiid… while also carrying the offensive burden.  This machination can not sustain itself and at least 2 of these guys SHOULD BE moved in the offseason to make room for a legit Center or two. The Raptors will lose this series… but when?

The Philadelphia 76ers are 3-1 in the series and 3-1 ATS.  They have been a great betting opportunity for a full week then suddenly dropped the ball at the finish line.  Home cooking and comfy beds will change the result in this next game at home.  Not a single 76ers wants to get back on a plane to visit Scotiabank Arena again.  They will ball out.  The players that need to step up are not Embiid and Harden.  Embiid and Harden work best as a constant threat that needs to be constantly contained… The result is a wide open court for SF Toibias Harris, PG Tyrese Maxey, and battle-tested vet Danny Green.  All three of these guys should see layups and threes as the full-time mission.  The trick to getting that is simply controlling the ball.  Doc Rivers has done something very interesting this series by basically benching SG Furkan Korkmaz… Korkmaz is a great shooter… but if you do not play defense… Doc won’t play you.  This should energize Tyrese Maxey and backup guard Shake Milton.  The Sixers will again be allowed to play SF Matisse Thybulle who was not allowed in Canada because he is not fully vaccinated.  Thybulle is a proper defender and should lift everyone’s spirit.

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Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers  Preview and Analysis

Recent Form

Toronto is 49-37 on the season, but 48-38 ATS.  They have logged 42 Overs, and 44 Unders.  They are 24-19 in road games.

Philly is 54-32 on the season, but 40-44-2 ATS.  They have notched 39 Overs, 44 Unders, and 3 Push.

Offensive Analysis

Toronto is 20th in scoring with 109.4 ppg, 8th in rebounds with 45.3 per game, and 17th in AST/To ratio with 1.8.  On defense they rank 7th while holding opponents to 107.1 ppg.

Philly is 18th in scoring with 109.9 ppg, 29th in rebounds with 42.3 per game, and 8th in AST/To ratio with 1.9.  On defense they rank 8th while holding opponents to 107.3 ppg.
 

Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers Game Prediction 


Our prediction for Monday, April 25th is….. 76ers 120 - Raptors 105

The 76ers have been waiting to get home and reestablish their defense with a fully rested Matisse Thybulle.  They do not need Matisse to play more than 20 minutes… but they do need the punch to give everyone a bit of a break against Pascal Siakim and Precious Anchiuwa.  Those frontline guys are super athletic for the Raptors and a break will keep Harris, Embiid, and Green on their game.  That will make all the difference.  The bet is on the Sixers to get a 10+ point blowout at home to end the series.

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NBA Betting Trends

Philly is 4-2 ATS versus Toronto at Philly the last 3 seasons.
Toronto is 34-20 ATS vs  Philly at Philly since 1996.
10 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER the last 3 seasons.

Injury List

Toronto: PG Fred VanVleet (knee) Quest… if he does not play, the blowout is guaranteed.

Philly: C Charles Bassey (shoulder) Out… he has not made a difference this season.

Starting Lineups

Toronto: SF OG Anunoby, PF Pascal Siakam, C Khem Birch, PG Fred VanVleet, SG Gary Trent Jr

Philly: C Joel Embiid, PF Danny Green, SF Tobia Harris, PG Tyrese Maxey, SG James Harden


Coaches

Raptors: Nick “one-time champ” Nurse
76ers: Doc “one-time champ, setting playoff milestones” Rivers


James Q

About the Author:

James Q. has been involved with sports and gambling his entire life. A former division 1 scholarship basketball player, James understands sports (and especially basketball) inside-and-out. Following his basketball playing days, James parlayed his gambling skills into a semi-pro poker career. James resides in Los Angeles, and especially loves the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Dodgers. And when he isn't betting on sports (and writing about it), James can be found performing stand-up comedy on the Sunset Strip.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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