NBA Playoff Preview -- Wizards Try to Avoid 0-3 Hole vs. Raptors

  • In Charles Jay
  • Fri, Apr 20th, 2018 5:18:06 pm
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Washington Wizards will try to cut the deficit to two games to one in the Eastern Conference playoffs as they take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.


The Toronto Raptors have a long history of almost getting where they want to go, but falling short. And three years ago they were swept in the playoffs by the Washington Wizards. But now they are in a position they have never been before, as they are up two games to nothing on a playoff opponent, with Game 3 scheduled for Friday night at 8:05 PM ET at the Capital One Arena. When you are signed up with BetAnySports, you have the opportunity to place wagers, even after the game begins, as you access the state-of-the-art software from Live Betting Ultra.

Toronto Raptors playoff pickToronto has also for the first time come into the playoffs as the #1 seed in the conference, with 59 regular season victories, so you know that they have been able to get the job done on the road as well as home. And in winning the first two games on their own floor, they were able to establish themselves pretty solidly on the perimeter, and then in close. In Game 1 they shot an insane 16 for 30 from beyond the three-point arc, and then in Game 2 they were hot early from the outside and scored 44 points in the first quarter. Give the Wizards credit for fighting back and reducing the deficit to five points before running out of gas.

Now, with their backs to the wall (no pun intended), the Wizards have to get their act together, particularly in the defensive end, or else they are going to be watching the rest of the playoffs at home - and on the couch. In the NBA playoff odds that have been posted on this game by the people at BetAnySports, the Wizards are laying a small number:

Washington Wizards -1.5
Toronto Raptors +1.5

Over 218 points -110
Under 218 points -110

The Raptors made seven triples in that huge first quarter, helping to build a big lead. But the Wizards did a pretty good job out on the arc against them the rest of the way. However, because Washington does not have anyone in the way of an intimidating defensive presence on the inside, it is pretty much "pick your poison" as far as dealing with Toronto's offensive weapons. Jonas Valanciunas, the big man, had 19 points and fourteen rebounds while playing only 24 minutes, and the Wizards somehow have to apply enough muscle to keep him at bay. And second-shot opportunities have not been in abundance for Washington, which has only ten offensive rebounds.

Washington Wizards free pickAlso, even though Toronto has shifted gears to a considerable degree this season, with head coach Dwane Casey calling for a lot more volume shooting from three-point range, the top scorer, DeMar DeRozan, does not need long-range shots to be effective. In fact, it isn't a huge part of his game. And when Toronto has someone like Serge Ibaka, who can draw a big guy outside with his ability to hit threes, and can play with some authority on the inside, then you have potential nightmares.

It could well be that the Wizards come back and make this series more interesting. But remember that they were hardly invincible at home this season (23-18) and their record as a home favorite (10-22-1 ATS) indicates that they were accustomed to falling below expectations. John Wall and Bradley Beal should see some more calls go their way, but it's not as if this is a team that has developed any kind of momentum, winning just seven of their last 23 games. We're going to stick with the #1 seed here.

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(The preceding information has been furnished for news matter only)


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