Both the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers are coming off wins by two points on Monday night, and they’ll face off on Wednesday in Philly.
Joel Embiid did not play in Philly’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers, and he is listed as doubtful for Wednesday night’s matchup. Meanwhile, Paul George made his season debut for the 76ers, scoring nine points on 2-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes of action. He is out for this matchup with the Sixers playing the front end of a back-to-back.
The Raptors jumped up into third in the Eastern Conference standings after Monday’s win, as they’ve won eight of their last nine games and four in a row.
Even though many around the league questioned the fit of Toronto’s top players on offense, the team has been elite on defense, posting the No. 12 defensive rating in the NBA and the No. 8 defensive rating over its last 10 games. Can it slow down a Philly offense – led by Tyrese Maxey – that is No. 7 in offensive rating this season?
Let’s dive into the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for Wednesday night’s matchup.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Moneyline
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Raptors Injury Report
76ers Injury Report
76ers Best NBA Prop Bet
I am betting a prop for Tyrese Maxey, which I shared in today’s best NBA props at SI Betting:
Maxey continues to carry the Philadelphia offense this season with Embiid banged up, averaging 32.5 points per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Maxey has at least 31 points in eight of his 13 games this season, including a 39-point showing in a two-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Maxey played over 40 minutes and took 27 shots in that matchup.
The volume is key for Maxey when it comes to this market, as he’s averaging 23.6 shot attempts per game (which leads the NBA) to go along with a career-high 8.1 free throws per game. Even against a Toronto defense that is in the top-10 in the NBA this season, I think Maxey is worth a look in this market since he’s going to get all the shots he can handle on Wednesday night.
Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m buying the Raptors to move to 7-3 on the road:
The Toronto Raptors are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, winning eight of their last nine games heading into tonight’s road date with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philly has listed Joel Embiid as doubtful, Paul George as out and Kelly Oubre Jr. as out for this matchup. The Sixers appear to be playing for Thursday’s game against Milwaukee, and that’s a good sign for Toronto’s chances of winning a fifth game in a row.
Over their last 10 games, the Raptors rank seventh in offensive rating, eighth in defensive rating and seventh in net rating as the team is really starting to mesh with Brandon Ingram in the fold.
The Sixers, on the other hand, are 15th in net rating and 16th in offensive rating during that stretch, going just 5-5 overall.
As great as Tyrese Maxey has been this season, I think this is a major ask for the 76ers without some of their top players. The Raptors are surprisingly great on the road this season (6-3), and I think they stay hot in this matchup.
Pick: Raptors Moneyline (-125 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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