The Washington Wizards are north of the border as they square off with the Toronto Raptors on Sunday in an important Eastern Conference matchup. This game will continue our NBA odds series with a Wizards-Raptors prediction and pick, plus we will tell you how to watch.
The Wizards (33-41) are on the outside looking in at the play-in tournament as they trail the Chicago Bulls by 2.5 games for the 10th seed. Washington has won just three of its last 10 games, but they are coming off a 12-point victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma have been ruled out for the game while Monte Morris is questionable, so it will be up to Kristaps Porzingis and Corey Kispert to lead the charge.
The Raptors (36-38) are currently ninth in the East and lead the Wizards by three games. Toronto is coming off a 21-point victory vs. the Detroit Pistons Friday night. Scottie Barnes remains questionable as is Gary Trent Jr., but the Raptors have plenty of talent to pick up the slack. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet will lead the way while O.G Anunoby and Chris Boucher are solid role players that will need to step up.
These teams played twice earlier this month, splitting the games, with both decided by less than 10 points. Sunday will be the rubber match, and it is an important game for both teams.
Here are the Wizards-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Wizards-Raptors Odds
Washington Wizards: +9.5 (-110)
Toronto Raptors: -9.5 (+110)
Over: 220.5 (-112)
Under: 220.5 (-108)
How To Watch Wizards vs. Raptors
TV: SportsNet Canada, NBC Sports Washington
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
The Wizards will be without their first and third leading scorers, but Porzingis can keep this one close. In the two games played against Toronto, Porzingis is averaging 23.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. He is doing this on 65.4 percent shooting and 66.7 percent from deep. If he can stay hot Sunday, the Wizards will have a chance. Kispert is coming off a 26-point game. He is capable of stepping up when Beal and Kuzma are out. He will need to do that again, as the bulk of the offense will fall upon him and Porzingis.
The Raptors allow opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field this season. The Wizards need to take advantage of this and force the Raptors to try and string together stops. Washington will get their easy and open shots, it is just a matter of making them. This is true especially from beyond the arc. The Raptors allow the fourth-highest three point percentage in the NBA. Jump-shooting will be paramount for the Wes Unseld Jr.'s team.
Defensively, the Wizards need to force the Raptors to shoot the three. Toronto has the third-worst three point percentage in the NBA. If Washington can keep the Raptors out of the paint and force them to shoot it from deep, it could come away with a victory on the road.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Toronto forces their opponents to turn the ball over 15.9 times a game. Forcing turnovers will be important in this game. In the game they beat the Wizards three weeks ago, the Raptors forced 24 turnovers. They need this defensive pressure if they want to pull away in this game. As mentioned before, Toronto opponents to shoot fairly well from the field, so forcing turnovers and getting fast break points will be important on Sunday.
Toronto needs to play through Siakam. When he scores 20 or more points this season, the Raptors have a record of 27-20. When he does not, Toronto is just 4-11. Siakam needs to take charge in this game and get himself to that 20-point mark. If he does that, Toronto will win the game and give themselves a chance to cover the spread.
One worthy note is the Raptors are 18-15 in games are decided by 10 or more points in 2022-23. Half of their victories have come by that double-digit mark, and if they play well tonight, another win by that margin would not be surprising.
Final Wizards-Raptors Prediction & Pick
The Wizards will be shorthanded in this game, but that does not make a win impossible. However, they will need a big game from Porzingis. Kuzma and Beal both played in the games earlier this month, and without them, Toronto will be too much to handle. The home team is covering the spread in this one.
Final Wizards-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Raptors -9.5 (-110), Over 220.5 (112)
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