Filip Tomic
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The Toronto Raptors find themselves in a 2-0 hole against the Philadelphia 76ers, but they will be optimistic that they can get back into this series as things shift to Canada for Game 3. Tip-off is set for 8:00 pm ET on NBA TV and I’ve prepared a same game parlay which you can find below.
We also have predictions on the side and total for tonight’s two other NBA Playoffs games, be sure to check those out.
Let’s dive in!
Toronto Raptors ML (+126)
Pascal Siakam to score 30+ points (+210)
Fred VanVleet to score 20+ points (+180)
Joel Embiid under 32.5 points (-116)
Parlay odds: +1282
Toronto Raptors ML (+126)
It’s do-or-die time for the Raptors tonight as no team in NBA Playoffs history has come back from 3-0 down to win a series. I was a bit surprised they didn’t get a split in Philadelphia, but the absence of Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. hurt them a lot. Barnes is doubtful, but Trent Jr. should be good to go here after a brief illness that caused him to have a bad game on Monday. Nick Nurse also had a lot to say about the officiating in Game 2, and he will probably get fined for that, but if you are a coach you’ll do anything to fire up your team.
The Raptors are now counting on the energy of the home crowd to carry them to a win, and they were a solid 24-17 SU at the Scotiabank Arena this season. In the last 20 meetings with Philly at home, they’ve won 17 of them. Take the Raptors to win this game and kickstart our same game parlay.
Be sure to check out our full Game 3 preview for Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors
Pascal Siakam to score 30+ points (+210)
So far, Siakam is averaging 22 points in this series, which is decent considering both games were on the road and he attracted extra attention on defense with Scottie Barnes not playing. I’m expecting a different Siakam tonight though, similar to the one we saw during the regular season against the 76ers. He averaged 30.3 points per game in 3 meetings, shooting over 50% from the field. Matisse Thybulle is the primary defender the Sixers use on him, but he isn’t playing tonight which should open the door a bit more for the Raptors’ leading scorer.
Siakam has been in solid form overall, averaging 28 points over his last 9 regular-season games, and there’s a correlation between the Raptors winning and him scoring. In wins, he’s averaged 24.4 points per game, while in losses that number is down to 20.8 per game. He went for 37 the last time Toronto beat Philly, so 30 points seems doable tonight.
Wednesday’s NBA mega parlay is also available (+1034 odds!)
Fred VanVleet to score 20+ points (+180)
It can’t be all Siakam tonight for Toronto, they’ll need someone else to step up. Gary Trent Jr. was their guy in the 119-114 win over Philly on April 7 with 30 points, but with him struggling with an illness I’m not sure what kind of condition he’ll be in tonight. Thankfully, the Raptors have an all-star in VanVleet who can step up. He had 20 and 18 points in the 2 games so far, and in front of a packed Scotiabank Arena, I think he won’t have any issues getting to 20 points. He had 32 points in the 1 regular-season game against Philadelphia, so that brings up his average to 21 per game in the last 5 games against them. Expect a solid contribution from VanVleet tonight.
Don’t miss our Game 2 Bulls vs Bucks same game parlay (+1336 odds!)
Joel Embiid under 32.5 points (-116)
Nobody has played Embiid as well as the Raptors have during the regular season. Although he averaged 29 points against them in 3 games, he shot the ball at just 46% from the field and 20% from downtown. So far in the 2 games in this series, he has gone under his total in both of them, scoring 31 and 19 points, so if the Raptors want to get the win tonight they’ll have to keep Embiid under control.
In the Raptors’ last win against Philly at home on April 7, Embiid had 30 points, but shot under 50% and failed to register a single three-pointer. Matisse Thybulle being out of the lineup doesn’t help him either. Doc Rivers will have to assign Embiid far more duties on the defensive end, so I believe he’ll lose some of his energy on those as well.
Be sure to read our same game parlay for Nets vs Celtics (+1249 odds!)
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