The Philadelphia 76ers have won only two of their last six games but both of them came on the road against quality opponents. They hope to keep this streak going against the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto has been able to win five of their last eight, but are coming off an embarrassing 45-point blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Much of that is due to half of their roster being ruled out due to health and safety protocols though.
As we dive into this NBA betting preview, will Toronto be able to bounce back or will Philadelphia be too much?
- Game: Philadelphia 76ers (17-16) at Toronto Raptors (14-16)
- Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Canada
- Day/Time: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Television: Sportsnet
Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors
Embiid Player to Stop
It’s not much of a surprise here, but Joel Embiid is their best player by a long shot. He leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks with averages of 25.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 blocks a contest.
The superstar center is critical to their offensive and defensive game plans. Without him, they get significantly worse on both ends.
Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey are each solid in their own rights, but they can’t fill in the void that Embiid leaves behind when he isn’t active.
Philadelphia won’t have Andre Drummond or Shake Milton for this game and are still waiting on the return of Ben Simmons. The 76ers don’t have a lot of depth to be tapping into and it may take a monster performance from Embiid to get them a win.
Raptors Struggling to Find Healthy Players
The Toronto Raptors have a little bit of momentum as they’ve won five of eight, but they’ve been unreliable against the NBA odds due to injuries.
Khem Birch, Gary Trent and Pascal Siakam are all questionable after being cleared from the health and safety protocols.
Outside of them, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, Malachi Flynn and Fred VanVleet have all missed their last few games and aren’t expected to return at the moment.
Toronto doesn’t have much talent left to work with here, which is why the Raptors just lost by 45 in their last contest.
If you bet online, keep an eye on the news wires before locking in your bets.
76ers Early Favorites
It isn’t very surprising that the 76ers are the early favorites vs. Toronto. The spread is currently sitting at -6½ in favor of Philadelphia in the sportsbook.
Toronto desperately needs some type of talent back into the lineup or else it just won’t have enough firepower to cover the spread.
Even if Trent or Siakam can return to the lineup, chances are that they may need some time to get back into the flow of a game.
All signs point toward the 76ers covering the spread,, which is exactly what should happen barring any major injuries or additions to the COVID list.
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