Kawhi Leonard and the red-hot Toronto Raptors will look to stay hot and bring an end to the winning ways of the streaking Portland Trail Blazers when they square off in an Inter-Conference clash of NBA Finals hopefuls on Friday night.
Now, let’s find out where the best betting value lies for this one in the NBA betting lines.
Trail Blazers vs Raptors NBA Betting Lines & Expert Analysis
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— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) 28 de febrero de 2019
- When: Friday March 1, 2019, 8:00 PM (EST)
- Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, CA
- TV: NSNW, SPNT, ESPN
- Radio: Portland / Toronto
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Toronto -5 / Total: 226.5
Why Bet On Portland at +5?
The best reason to back the Blazers n this contest is that they’re playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time. Not only have the Blazers won five straight games, but they’ve won four straight on the road and have beaten Golden State, Philadelphia and Boston along the way, including their 97-92 victory over the C’s on Wednesday.
Damian Lillard scored a game-high 33 points to lead the way to victory while Maurice Harkless added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
“We’re playing together offensively. Defensively, we’ve been sharp,” star point guard Damian Lillard told reporters after the win over Boston. “We’re getting it from everybody on both ends of the floor and just being consistent. When you get that type of consistent effort from multiple guys – everybody in the rotation – this is what it looks like.”
Another good reason to back the Blazers is the fact that they already got past the Raptors 128-122 at home back on Dec. 14.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 113.46
- Field Goals: 46.45%
- Three Points: 35.97%
- Free Throws: 81.68%
- Rebounds: 47.85
- Average Score Against: 109.89
- Field Goals: 45.53%
- Three Points: 36.12%
- Free Throws: 76.27%
- Rebounds: 43.30
Why Bet On Toronto at -5?
The Raptors look like a good bet simply because they’re playing at home where they’ve gone 26-6 SU this season. Toronto is also playing some excellent ball in winning eight of their last nine games including a 118-95 demolition of Boston on Tuesday to finish off the month of February at a near-perfect 8-1. Blossoming forward Pascal Siakim scored a team-high 25 points while Kawhi Leonard added 21 points in the dominating win.
“It’s always great to come in and bounce back and get a win,” Raptors small forward Kawhi Leonard told reporters. “I keep saying this, but it’s just about us and what we need to do to get better as a team.”
Another good reason to back the Raptors is that they are the statistically better team at both ends of the floor and they most certainly want some revenge for their loss to the Blazers earlier this season.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 114.21
- Field Goals: 46.88%
- Three Points: 35.11%
- Free Throws: 80.34%
- Rebounds: 45.13
- Average Score Against: 108.68
- Field Goals: 45.26%
- Three Points: 34.54%
- Free Throws: 76.81%
- Rebounds: 44.77
Trail Blazers vs Raptors NBA Betting Trends
- Portland is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 games
- Portland is 5-0 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went OVER in 9 of Portland’s last 13 games
- Toronto is 1-5 ATS in the last 6 games
- Toronto is 8-1 SU in the last 9 games
- The total went UNDER in 7 of Toronto’s last 10 games
Expert Analysis and Prediction
While a whopping 67 percent of public hoops bettors are currently backing the Raptors to get it done in this one, I’m going to advise you to go the other way with your pick on this matchup. Portland has gone 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall, 4-0 ATS in their last four road games and a bankroll-boosting 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games against their Eastern Conference counterparts.
On the flip side of the coin, Toronto has gone an uninspiring 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games, 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall and 0-5 ATS in their last five games following an SU win. Portland is playing well right now and they’ve got some good talent on their roster. I like the Blazers to cover the chalk while pushing Toronto for the outright win!
NBA Betting Pick: Portland +5
