Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors 12/12/18: Starting Lineups, Matchup Breakdown, Odds, Daily Fantasy, Betting

Golden State Warriors vs, Toronto Raptors Preview

This is the matchup NBA fans have been dreaming of ever since Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors. Sure, these teams have played each other once before this season, but that was the Raptors beating a Warriors team without two of their all-stars, Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

Not to get too ahead of ourselves, but this could provide a glimpse or a preview of what many are expecting to be the 2019 NBA Finals matchup.

Even after dropping a few games, the Raptors got back to their winning ways recently and still have a league-best 22-7 record. But the Warriors, and a mostly healthy Warriors squad, are not far behind at 19-9.

TV Schedule

Date: 12/12/18
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Arena: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
Channel: ESPN

Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup

PositionStarter
PGStephen Curry
SGKlay Thompson
SFKevin Durant
PFDraymond Green
CDeMarcus Cousins

Warriors Analysis

Golden State WarriorsThe Warriors may not be the hottest team in the Western Conference right now, with that designation being reserved for the OKC Thunder, but Golden State has been on quite a roll since Curry came back and Green rejoined the team recently. They have a four-game winning streak entering tonight’s game at the Oracle and they are 7-3 in their last 10.

Tonight will provide an opportunity for the Warriors to avenge their last loss to Toronto, much the same way they avenged their loss to Milwaukee with 105-95 win on Friday.

Just like getting Curry back made a drastic impact for the Warriors, having Green back has had the same effect. Head Coach Steve Kerr said having Green back has allowed Golden State to get back to the fast pace that they are accustomed to playing, and having a perennial Defensive Player of the Year favorite back can’t hurt either.

Pelicans Quick Links: Warriors Starting Lineup, Warriors Roster, Warriors Depth Chart, Warriors Injuries, Warriors News, Warriors Schedule

Toronto Raptors Starting Lineup

PositionStarter
PGKyle Lowry
SGDanny Green
SFKawhi Leonard
PFPascal Siakam
CSerge Ibaka

Raptors Analysis

Toronto RaptorsThe Raptors got past a small speed bump lately with a huge win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Without Leonard, the Raptors had no problem dispatching the Clippers 123-99 on the road.

They continue their road trip in Oakland tonight, and although a bruised hip sidelined Leonard against the Clippers, I imagine it would take more than that to keep him out of this National TV matchup tonight.

The Raptors will certainly need Leonard, and could also utilize Danny Green and Pascal Siakam on Kevin Durant, who went off for 51 points and 11 rebounds in the first game of the series.

Kyle Lowry, who had seen a big dip in his points lately, played a bigger role in last night’s game, notching 21 points.

Raptors Quick Links: Raptors Starting Lineup, Raptors Roster, Raptors Depth Chart, Raptors Injuries, Raptors News, Raptors Schedule

Warriors vs. Raptors Betting Odds

While this looks like a very close matchup on paper, Vegas has the Warriors as -6.5 point favorites to extend their winning streak to five.

Some likely factors going into that are it being a home game for Golden State, and the fact that Leonard is not a lock to play tonight.

This is also the second game of a back-to-back for the Raptors, and with the pace the Warriors play it, tired legs could be a factor.

Odds & Line Movement Links: , Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)

Bet on Matchup

If you’re in Pennsylvania, you can bet on this matchup. Sports betting is legal in PA. Our top rated online sportsbook bonus offers can be found in our articles: Fanduel Sportsbook promo code, DraftKings Sportsbook promo code & Pointsbet promo code.

DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks

Just about any member of Golden State’s big four could be considered a fantasy stud on any given night, but with Kevin Durant’s most recent numbers against the Raptors, including a healthy Leonard, he gets the nod. Durant’s FanDuel salary is $10,200 and he is projected for 46 fantasy points.

If Leonard plays, he’s the go-to pick here. His has a $10,100 salary and is projected for 44.99 points.

Draymond Green should always be on everyone’s fantasy radar. He can be a multi-cat machine, and at a salary of $6,700, he is certainly a worthy value pick with a projection of 32.96 points.

For the Raptors, I’m gonna bet that Lowry continues to score well, especially if he’s relied on more if Leonard misses his second consecutive game. But even if the points are low, Lowry has been one the league’s top passers and double-digit assist numbers are starting to become the norm for him. He has a FanDuel salary of $7,600 and is projected for a big night against Curry with 36.46 points.

Find all of our Fanduel and Draftkings projections here: https://www.lineups.com/nba/nba-fantasy-basketball-projections. 

Post
Michael is Chief Editor at Lineups.com. He has decades of combined experience in traditional print journalism and online media and is the publisher of the Project Spurs Network, which includes 13 team-specific sports media sites and the flagship ProjectSpurs.com. He is also the creator of the first Spurs podcast and the longest-running sports podcast on the internet, the Spurscast, and was formerly the host of the News 4 San Antonio Sports Roundtable.

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