76ers vs Raptors Betting & Picks: Joel Embiid to Bring Nick Nurse Some Revenge
The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors revive one of the postseason rivalries of recent years on Saturday, Oct. 28 and in turn, may provide one of the best money lines NBA has to offer this weekend.
As the situation with James Harden looms large for the Sixers, he’s still back in Philadelphia, so all eyes are on the rest of the team, headlined by reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey.
As for the Raptors, they’ve been led by the trio of Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Scottie Barnes. Offseason addition Dennis Schroder has impressed through two games. Schroder posted 22 points with seven assists in the opener, following that up with 10 points nad 10 assists in an overtime loss on Friday against the Chicago Bulls.
76ers vs Raptors Head-to-Head
The Raptors boast a 62-45 edge over the 76ers in regular season play. The teams have swapped three-game winning streaks over the past two regular seasons, with Philadelphia currently taking three consecutive dating to the end of last season.
76ers vs Raptors Game Information
- Game: 76ers vs Raptors
- Date/Time: Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto ON
- 76ers vs Raptors Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
76ers vs Raptors Betting Lines
76ers vs Raptors Game Prediction
The Sixers played their opener on Thursday night, a tough 118-117 loss to the new-look Milwaukee Bucks led by Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Raptors won their opener on Wednesday, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-94 but fell in the aforementioned overtime game to the Bulls on a late Alex Caruso game-winner.
Philadelphia has a talented group even without Harden, and is seeking its first win under new head coach Nick Nurse, who’s heading into a revenge spot himself against his former team.
I think Nurse will have a great insight into some of the Raptors’ current talent, but beyond that, it’s going to be tough traveling after an overtime loss for the second game of a back-to-back and face a rested Sixers team.
Embiid and Maxey should be in for a big night, but Schroder is a great defender, so I think much of the offensive production will land on Embiid and Tobias Harris, who scored 20 points in the team’s opener.
Offseason signing Kelly Oubre Jr. looked like one of the free-agent steals of the offseason for the Sixers, scoring 27 points with four rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting.
The Sixers get the job done here and do so in impressive fashion.
Predicted Score: Philadelphia 76ers 110, Toronto Raptors 102
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Worth Targeting the Total?
The expectation here is that we see some points between the Sixers and Raptors, and the NBA over/under prediction for Oct. 28 makes for an interesting one, with the line set at 217. While I do think it’ll be a high-scoring game, I think this falls just below the total. The Sixers have a higher upside offensively, while the Raptors have looked good defensively through two games.
The Raptors coming off an overtime game in which they scored 103 points only adds to the concern for the total to go over here. If I were jumping on an early season total, I’d lean toward the under in this spot, but it’s not my favorite play on the board.
NBA Pick: Under 217 (-110)
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Worth Betting ATS?
The Sixers are heading to Toronto as 3½-point favorites, and for good reason. While they lost the opener, the Bucks are widely considered as one of the favorites to emerge from the Eastern Conference.
The Harden situation has cast a bit of a dark cloud over the Sixers, but I think they bounce back from the first loss and get into the win column, helping Nurse get a tiny dose of friendly revenge on his former team.
NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -3½ (-110)
Questions Of The Day
Which team offers the better value on the money line in the 76ers vs Raptors game tonight?
The Sixers enter as -178 favorites to win this game outright, and I like their spot. While the Raptors are +153 to win, the odds aren’t quite appealing enough to take the edge over Philly.
Is the best over/under a good bet for the 76ers vs Raptors game?
The under of 217 has some appeal, and looks like the better bet. Much of the over/under on this game will come down to how the Raptors come out after their overtime loss one night prior against the Chicago Bulls.
