It's Game 2 between the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night! With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Raptors-Sixers prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

 

Philadelphia took Game 1 of the best-of-seven series with a 131-111 rout of Toronto. The Raptors had no answer for Tyrese Maxey, who put on a show in his playoff debut with 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting to go along with five 3-pointers and 5-of-5 shooting from the free-throw line. Tobias Harris added 26 points for Philly, while James Harden turned in a double-double of 22 points and 14 assists. Joel Embiid had a rough night from the field, going just 5-of-15. He did finish with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Raptors had four of five starters score in double-figures, with Pascal Siakam leading the way with 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Scottie Barnes also had a solid postseason debut, almost notching a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. The Raptors may have been blown out in the series opener, but look for head coach Nick Nurse to make adjustments as the Raptors try to steal homecourt and head back to Toronto with a 1-1 split.

Here is how Fanduel has set the Raptors-Sixers NBA Playoffs odds for this Saturday night NBA matchup.

NBA Playoffs Odds: Raptors–Sixers Odds

Toronto Raptors: +6.5 (-110)

Philadelphia 76ers: -6.5 (-110)

Over: 218 (-110)

Under: 218 (-110)

Why the Raptors could cover the spread

As mentioned, Coach Nurse likely has a game plan up his sleeve to make adjustments for Monday. The Raptors likely already have their scheme for containing Embiid and Harden, but that obviously led to Maxey and Harris both going off in the opener.

Nonetheless, Philadelphia did have a terrific night shooting from the field overall, as they hit 51.2 percent from the field. They also drained a whopping 50 percent of their threes (16-of-32), which should fall back down to earth. In addition, Maxey likely won't shoot 14-of-21 from the field and the Raptors will likely game plan for him a little different this time around. The electric guard had a field day around the basket in Game 1 with several drives, especially in the third period. Toronto doesn't have that much size upfront, but they can prevent Maxey from getting to the hoop with their length.

Unfortunately for Toronto, Rookie of the Year frontrunner Scottie Barnes suffered a sprained left ankle in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, veteran forward Thaddeus Young left in the second quarter Saturday with a thumb sprain. That doesn't bode well for the Raptors' chances to cover the spread, let alone get the win to return to Toronto 1-1.

Regardless of Barnes and Young's status, Toronto's postseason success relies heavily on Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. Siakam has been playing at an All-NBA level since the All-Star break and he had a great Game 1. Meanwhile, VanVleet had his struggles through the last stretch of the season and the Raptors will need him to return to All-Star form.

Why the Sixers could cover the spread

Meanwhile, Philadelphia was clicking all night, hitting over 50 percent of its shots and draining 16 triples on the evening. Maxey looked like a breakout star, nearly tying his regular-season career-best of 39 points in his NBA playoff debut. He should enter Game 2 with a lot of confidence. And if he plays close to what he did in Game 1, they should win on Monday and could do so in a convincing fashion like they did Saturday.

Joel Embiid didn't have one of those gaudy scoring stat lines that we've seen from him all season, as the Raptors did all they can to make life difficult for the MVP candidate. The Raptors don't have the size to match up with Embiid, but they play scrappy with their length. With that, look for the 2021-22 NBA scoring champ to assert himself more and show why he deserves to lift that Maurice Podoloff trophy at some point during this postseason.

It definitely helps Philadelphia that Toronto could be two wings down in Game 2, with Barnes and Young suffering injuries on Saturday. If both are unable to play on Monday, the Sixers have a good chance to cover the spread.

Final Raptors–Sixers Prediction & Pick

The Sixers should be the pick here. They looked dominant in Game 1, even with Embiid struggling from the field. Obviously, Toronto had a lot to do with that by being physical and rough with the Cameroonian. But the Sixers took advantage of that with Maxey picking up the slack and going off. It also helps their chances that the Raptors may be without Scottie Barnes and Thaddeus Young. And even if they do play, they'll do so with ailing limbs that could limit their effectivity on the floor.

Final Raptors–Sixers Prediction & Pick: 76ers -6.5 (-110)