Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors Pick Game 2

The Toronto Raptors (63-25) and the Philadelphia 76ers (55-33) will face off for Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Game One was all Raptors as Toronto cruised to a 108-95 victory and cover as a 6.5-point favorite in the process. Overall, Toronto has won four of the last five meetings between both parties while producing an equally profitable 4-1 ATS record.

Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors Overview

Philadelphia 76ers

After scoring at will against the Nets in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Sixers found themselves stymied by the Raptors in Game One being held to under 100 points despite the Sixers producing 115.2 points per game on the season (4th in the NBA). The lack of production was equally shocking considering the Sixers averaged over 120 points per contest against Brooklyn.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors recipe for success was found in their shooting accuracy. Game One provided the Raptors with ample opportunity to showcase why they finished in the top-five in both field goal proficiency (47.4%) and opponent field goal percentage (44.9%). Toronto hit a stellar 51.9% of their attempts while they corralled the Sixers to find success just 39.3% from the field.

Reasons To Back Philadelphia

If anyone needs a reason as to why the Sixers should be backed here, look no further than how Philadelphia rebounded in Game Two against the Nets. After scoring just 102 points in Game One, Philadelphia erased any doubt when they followed up with 145 points in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. After appearing outmatched in Game One against the Raptors, the Sixers are in prime position to bounce back.

Reasons To Avoid Toronto

The fact that the line is priced at the exact same number as it was in Game One resonates strongly with me. It says to me that the odds-makers are not buying into the verity of the result and if that be the case, neither am I. After all, Toronto’s performance was superfluous. It is almost a certainty to win a basketball game if any team hits half of their shots, no matter how they play. The question for me is whether or not Toronto can find that same success again while equally managing to slow down Philadelphia’s explosive offense. I think such outcomes would be hard to come by for a second consecutive game.