Eastern Conference Semifinals Game Five
The Toronto Raptors (64-27) and the Philadelphia 76ers (57-34) will face off for Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The series presently stands even at two games each with each side winning one contest on the road. In Game Four, the Raptors held serve as a 2.5-point road favorite and defeated the 76ers by a score of 101-96 on Sunday.
Philadelphia at Toronto Betting Overview:
Philadelphia 76ers
Despite the 76ers and Raptors finishing the season with two top-ten offenses, this series as a whole has taken on a defensive connotation. After all, we have yet to see both teams score in the triple digits in the same game this series. For Philadelphia, we saw their production diminish by 20 points in Game Four after attaining a series high 116 points in Game Three. Much of this can be attested to the Sixers shooting just 40.6% from the field in the contest.
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Toronto Raptors
Mirroring what we saw in Game One, Forward Kawhi Leonard served to be the difference maker ultimately in Game Four as he nearly broke the 40-point threshold in an explosive performance that saw him contribute 14 rebounds and five assists. Toronto helped their cause by shooting 46.1% from the field while also knocking down 80.8% of their free throws to Philly’s 72% from the charity stripe.
Reasons To Back Philadelphia
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Given the fact that the Raptors will be prone to an overreaction after their Game Four win in the hostile environs of Philadelphia, one would expect the Raptors to be a public choice here in Game Five. However, despite the public picking the Raptors to win and cover in volumes, a high percentage of early money came in on Philadelphia. This can only signify that the smart and sharp money is likely taking the points here. That in itself warrants a look at the Sixers.
- Get more details: PHI at TOR Game 4 Match-up Stats
Reasons To Avoid Toronto:
Once again the line is priced at nearly the same number as it was in Game One and Two. This narrative resonates strongly with me. I can only attribute this to the market imposing a premium upon takers to back the Raptors in the Great White North. While one has to respect the home court presence that this team owns, the Sixers have already won a game in this series in Toronto. Needless to say, Philadelphia will show no fear and can easily orchestrate an upset here yet again. As a result, there are likely too many points on the table.
