Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors Betting Preview

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— Tuesday, December 28th Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronto Raptors

Two Eastern Conference teams are set to do battle on Tuesday night. The Philadelphia 76ers, sixth in the Eastern Conference, take on the Raptors.

The 76ers throttled the Washington Wizards, 117-96, and now have the Raptors in their sights. Three players have been downgraded to “out,” so can the 76ers overcome these injuries and win the game?

The Toronto Raptors have a massive list of injuries themselves. Unfortunately for them, this goes far beyond just COVID-19 concerns. However, they’ve lost most of their starters to COVID-19 quarantine and are, in fact, relying on just their bench.

With all of their starters out for this matchup, can they overcome the 6.5-point spread? Or is Philadelphia the best bet today?

Philadelphia 76ers: Looking to move up in the conference

Although the number six spot in the conference is good for now, the 76ers want to move up. They can do this by stringing some wins together, starting with the Raptors.

The 76ers are a few games behind the Cavaliers, so they can’t afford to lose this one. The good news for them is that the Raptors are missing their entire starting lineup. Talk about a lucky break for the 76ers.

However, even though they’re missing players, Philadelphia better bring their A-game. Philadelphia has also been quite the letdown at the sportsbook this season.

Their overall record against the spread is 15-18, and they’ve gone 3-7 ATS in their last ten games. Pretty safe to say that although they might win, covering the spread is something completely different.

Toronto Raptors: How will they fare without their starters?

This is a tough task for the Toronto Raptors. They’ll be playing the game with their entire starting lineup out, something that would be tough for anyone.

They’ll have to rely on their bench to compete with one of the top ten teams in the Eastern Conference. However, a little perseverance will go a long way in this one. Especially with good coaching against the 76ers.

Taking advantage of the 76ers perimeter defense is key in this one. Without Ben Simmons, one of the best defenders in the NBA, the 76ers have a hole on defense. Avoiding the inside and Joel Embiid is a good move as well.

This way, the Raptors will give themselves the best chance at putting points on the board. So, what about the 6.5-point spread, can the Raptors cover it?

Our pick for the Philadelphia 76ers at the Toronto Raptors

Our biggest problem with the 76ers is their performance at the sportsbook recently. They’ve been unable to secure victories, which has been a huge problem.

The Raptors might be missing their starting five, but we think they’ll pull off an upset here. Now, we want to make sure you know not to take the straight up. However, the +6.5-points should be just enough.

In their last ten meetings, the Raptors are 6-4 against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Raptors are also 4-1 against the spread in their last five games. They’ve gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games at home, making them our best pick here.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Toronto Raptors +6.5, UNDER

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