Toronto Raptors Vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Predictions, Starting Lineups (12/22/23)
After dropping their first two games against Philadelphia this season, the Toronto Raptors will look to pick up a win against MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid and Co. finally. Check out the full breakdown for our Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers predictions, best bets, and analysis below!
Toronto Raptors Vs. Philadelphia 76ers Prediction
The Philadelphia 76ers enter this matchup against Toronto with a 19-8 record, which places them firmly in third place in the Eastern Conference. While Philly has beaten the Raptors in both games they have played this year, injuries will be a big thing to pay attention to for this Eastern Conference bout.
Nic Batum has already been ruled out due to a lingering hamstring injury, and De’Anthony Melton is questionable with a minor thigh injury. Unfortunately, the league’s best starting lineup (Maxey, Melton, Harris, Batum, and Embiid) will not be available on Friday night.
How good has that lineup been for Philly? That Sixers starting lineup isn’t just the most efficient, it is impossibly great. They have played together for 219 minutes (which is more than an adequate sample size to evaluate) and hold a net rating of +34.0. Their offensive rating of 135.2 is the best, while their defensive rating of 101.3 is the third-best amongst all lineups that have played at least 115 minutes together.
Without Batum, the Sixers are just 6-4, and with De’Anthony Melton, Patrick Beverley, and Mo Bamba all listed as game-time decisions, there are too many question marks for us to get behind a popular bet right now. However, see below for our favorite player prop of the night, regardless of the injury report.
Toronto Raptors Vs. Philadelphia 76ers Prediction: Wait and See
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Toronto Raptors Vs. Philadelphia 76ers Best Odds
The Philadelphia 76ers are substantial 8.5-point favorites when they host the Toronto Raptors at home on Friday night. Philly has Moneyline odds of -345, while Toronto is +275 to win outright on the road in this Eastern Conference matchup. The Over/Under rests at 230.5 points for this game.
Toronto Raptors Starting Lineup
PG: Dennis Schroder
SG: O.G. Anunoby
SF: Scottie Barnes
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Jakob Poeltl
Philadelphia 76ers Starting Lineup
PG: Tyrese Maxey
SG: De’Anthony Melton
SF: Tobias Harris
PF: Marcus Morris Sr.
C: Joel Embiid
Toronto Raptors Vs. Philadelphia 76ers Injuries
The Toronto Raptors have little excuse not to play their best ball on Friday, as Christian Koloko (lung) is the only player who is listed as out for this matchup. Still, there could always be late additions to the injury report, so keep an eye out. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has a few more names on its injury report. Nic Batum will miss the game due to a hamstring injury, while De’Anthony Melton (thigh) is questionable. Patrick Beverley (heel) and Mo Bamba (illness) are also game-time decisions.
Toronto Raptors Vs. Philadelphia 76ers Betting Picks
While the 76ers have primarily gotten the better of the Raptors since the “Kawhi shot” (you know which one I’m talking about), Joel Embiid has not had any nuclear scoring efforts against them.
For instance, Embiid’s points player prop line hangs around 35.5 points for tonight’s game, but Embiid has only scored 36 or more points against the Raptors in two games. Twice. Out of 22 regular season games and 13 playoff games.
But we will not let that deter us from betting Embiid’s Over in this spot; he has hit the Over on this line (40+ points) in four of his past five games. The Raptors rank 18th in opponent points in the paint and 14th in points allowed to opposing centers; they are not terrific interior defenders.
As a matter of fact, the only interior defender that Toronto can count on is Jakob Poeltl, and with the way Embiid has been drawing fouls on opponents (most free-throw attempts per game this season), expect him to get into foul trouble. The next defender in line will be Precious Achiuwa, and that will be “barbecue chicken.”
Best Bet: Joel Embiid Alt 40+ Points (+150)
