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The NBA season continues on Monday night. The Toronto Raptors will hit the road and take on the Portland Trail Blazers. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Raptors-Trail Blazers prediction and pick.
Both of these teams have been having solid seasons. The Toronto Raptors are 7-7 but are coming off a disappointing loss. The Portland Trail Blazers are 6-8 and are also coming off an embarrassing loss. These teams will both be looking to turn things around on Monday.
Here are the odds for the Raptors-Trail Blazers Monday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Raptors-Trail Blazers Odds
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Toronto Raptors: +2 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers: -2 (-110)
Over: 212.5 (-112)
Under: 212.5 (-108)
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
The Toronto Raptors have won half their games through the first 14 regular season games. They have been kind of all over the place as a team. Toronto has beaten some tough opponents and has lost to some easier ones. They are coming off a six point loss to the Detroit Pistons. This Raptors team will need to start figuring stuff out if they want to make a playoff push. That all starts with a win against the Trail Blazers. Toronto will come into this game looking to bounce back from a tough loss.
This Raptors team is lacking a true star and leader, but they have enough solid pieces to make them a competitive team. Gary Trent Jr. has emerged as one of those key contributors. In their loss to Detroit, Trent dropped 23 points and kept his team in the game. On the season Trent is averaging 16 points a game. While he has been a solid contributor on the offensive end, where Trent separates himself is with his defensive ability. Gary Trent Jr. is a fantastic defender, he is averaging nearly 3 steals a game and will look to continue this against Portland. Expect Trent to keep contributing to Toronto.
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A welcome sight for Raptors fans has been the return of Pascal Siakam. Siakam has only played three games this season but is coming off his best performance of the three. Against Detroit Spicy P had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. Siakam is a huge part of this Raptors team and if he can get going then the Raptors should have no problem beating Portland. Siakam played 35 minutes against the Pistons and will be a big part of Monday's match up. Expect Spicy P to keep balling for the Raptors.
Why The Trail Blazers Could Cover The Spread
The Portland Trail Blazers have been underwhelming this season. They are coming off a 29 point loss against the Denver Nuggets. This Blazers team hasn't really beaten any tough opponents. Their most impressive win came earlier in the season against the Lakers, who have been struggling. If Portland wants to win on Monday then they will need to step things up. The Blazers have the talent and ability to beat the Raptors, but they need to come out ready to compete.
Leading the way for Portland this season has been CJ McCollum. CJ struggled against the Nuggets, only scoring 21 points and not shooting the ball efficiently. The veteran guard has been having a solid season, averaging 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists a game. However, McCollum hasn't been able to carry this team in the way that Damian Lillard used to. Lillard is day-to-day heading into this match up. If Dame doesn't play then CJ will need to step things up. If McCollum can have a big night then the Blazers could win this one.
The other pillar for Portland is Jusuf Nurkic. The big man has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but when he plays he is extremely impactful. Nurkic is averaging a double-double this season scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 boards a game. Nurkic provides Portland with a big presence down low and adds a good amount of balance to the team. If the big man can have a bounce back game against the Raptors then the Blazers could win this one.
Final Raptors-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a good game, or at least it should be a close game. Neither of these teams are at the top of the league, but they are both competing to try and make playoffs. The Blazers really haven't been competitive against tough competition. They have faced some top teams and consistently fall short, while they have managed to defeat lesser teams. The Raptors will prove to be good competition for Portland, and with Dame likely out the Blazers will likely come up short. Pick Toronto to cover this one and get ready for some solid basketball.
FINAL RAPTORS-TRAIL BLAZERS PICK: Toronto Raptors +2 (-110)
FINAL RAPTORS-TRAIL BLAZERS SCORE PREDICTION: Raptors 105 – Trail Blazers 101
