Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors: Match to be low-scoring

Toronto is one of the most uncomfortable opponents for Philadelphia this season, and there is a reason why the odds on the Canadiens winning Game 1 of the playoffs are slightly down. Will the Raptors be able to surprise everyone and win? 

The Sixers have won five of their last six regular-season games, helping them finish fourth in the East. In the final game Doc Rivers' players defeated Detroit, 118-106. Joel Embiid was the best player in the league in terms of average efficiency and for sure the team expects to fight for the championship with him. James Harden hasn't always peaked, but he's improved in Philadelphia. A lot will depend on Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, but the bench does raise some concerns. How Georges Niang, DeAndre Jordan, Furkan Korkmaz or Shake Milton will perform in the playoffs is a big question, especially on offense.

The Raptors have won eight of their last 10 regular-season games and climbed to fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Pascal Siakam has been off the charts in the 2nd half of the season, becoming the club's all-time leader. Gary Trent, Jr. and Fred VanVleet slowed down, although they had some nice stretches of play throughout the season. OG Anunoby missed a lot of games due to injuries, but he's coming into the playoffs healthy. All the strongest players are in shape. The truth is that Toronto still lost their last game to New York, 94-105. Siakam and VanVleet didn't appear on the floor, but Anunoby, Barnes and Trent did. Nick Nurse's team had another poor shooting performance from beyond the arc and poor three-point shooting was the main reason for their loss.

Toronto has defeated Philadelphia six times in their last 10 head-to-head encounters, and the Raptors have won 3 of their last 4 games this season. In the last meeting, the Canadian club was stronger with a score of 119-114. Only Matisse Thybulle did not play for the Sixers, while Toronto was without Yuta Watanabe and OG Anunoby.

• Philadelphia has six wins in six home games;
• Toronto has won 7 of the last 10 road games.

Toronto plays pretty dull basketball with a lot of isolation, and Philadelphia with James Harden and Joel Embiid are unlikely to please the fans with lightning attacks. Much will depend on shot attempts. If either one goes down, the odds of seeing a productive basketball game will be much higher. My guess is that the fresh-faced Raptors will work hard at the arc in Game 1, while Philadelphia, with their rebounding prowess, will likely falter. Even with their low three-point percentage, Toronto is capable of generating over 110 points, and with VanVleet and Trent, the team is capable of improving in that area. I suggest we bet on the following outcomes:

• H2 (+4.5) for 1.90;
• TU (217.5) for 1.86;
• W2 (incl. OT) for 2.584.

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