Sixers vs. Raptors Betting Preview (December 29, 2020)

On Tuesday night, the Sixers and Raptors meet in what should be an interesting matchup between two talented Eastern Conference squads. The Sixers will look to bounce back after an embarrassing loss to the Cavs, while the Raptors will look to get their first win of the season. Let’s get into our Sixers-Raptors betting preview, including odds, boosts, and picks.

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Preview

This matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors features last season’s sixth and second place finishers, respectively. The Sixers started the 2020-21 season with a solid win over the Washington Wizards and a blowout road victory over the New York Knicks. However, their third game of the season did not go according to plan as the team was unable to overcome the absence of Joel Embiid, falling to the Cavs 118-94.

The Raptors, meanwhile, have gotten off to a disappointing 0-2 start. Following a 113-99 home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto fell to the San Antonio Spurs by a closer margin 119-114.

The Raptors have won the last two games between the teams and six of eight regular season games between the teams overall.

Sixers vs. Raptors Odds

Here’s the line for the Sixers and Raptors at DraftKings Sportsbook PA:

Spread: Sixers -1.5, Raptors +1.5
Moneyline: Sixers -121, Raptors +102
Total: 218

And here are the current best available odds for the Sixers (may not display on Google AMP pages):

Bets We Like With a Sixers Win

FiveThirtyEight gives the Sixers a 56% chance of winning with a -1.5 point spread. Philadelphia’s implied win probability based on the moneyline is 52%. This is the second consecutive game in which the oddsmakers and projected models have nearly identical numbers for the Sixers.

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Sixers Win and Under 218 Points (+245, DraftKings)

To be clear, this game is a true toss-up, as evidenced by the oddsmakers and projected models demonstrate. If you’re convinced that Joel Embiid will feast against on the interior, especially since Marc Gasol now plays in Los Angeles, this parlay represents solid value in addition to the Sixers win. The Sixers have won each of their past 16 games at Wells Fargo Center and haven’t lost at home in over a calendar year.

Meanwhile, each of the Sixers’ first three games have gone under the total points threshold:

vs. Washington: 220 points (U 231.0)
@ New York: 198 points (U 215.0)
@ Cleveland: 212 points (U 217.5)

While the Raptors last game against the Spurs cleared the total point threshold by +4.5 points, their first game of the season against the Pelicans went 16.5 points under the 228.5 point line.

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Bets We Like With a Raptors Win

Kyle Lowry Over 2.5 Made 3-Point Field Goals and Raptors to Win (+300, FOX Bet)

As mentioned above, this game is a total toss-up. If you’re leaning toward a Toronto win, it’ll likely come via a big game from perimeter scorers Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. We’re fully in the camp that Lowry will have a big game, which you can get real value of independent of outcome, which we’ve outlined below. Lowry has put up 15 shots from deep in two games this season, connecting on six. If you account for Lowry’s lone game at Wells Fargo Center a season ago in which he went 4-8 from beyond the arc, it stands to reason that he’s a pretty safe bet to nail three or more shots from downtown.

The Raptors have been dominant over the Sixers in the regular season since the 2013-14 season, going 24-4 against the team from the City of Brotherly Love.

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Bets We Like Independent of Outcome

Kyle Lowry Over 18.5 Points (+100, BetMGM)

Over the first two games of Toronto’s season, Kyle Lowry is averaging 17 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field. While 18.5 points is a bit higher than we’re comfortable with, his numbers against the Sixers a season ago are encouraging. In three matchups against his hometown Sixers, Lowry averaged 20.3 points per game, including a 26 point outburst in his lone game at Wells Fargo Center. In that game, Lowry went 4-8 from beyond the arc. The Sixers have struggled to limit dynamic scorers from the guard position, including 36 combined points from Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

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Triple Your Money – Joel Embiid to Have a Dunk Assisted by Ben Simmons (+200, FOX Bet)

Simply put, this bet is always worth taking a flier on. The last time FOX Bet offered it, Simmons and Embiid connected on an alley-oop early in the Sixers’ opening night win against the Washington Wizards. With Embiid looking to dominate inside after missing Philadelphia’s blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers combined with Simmons’ elite passing and vision, this one is worth a shot.

Note: the maximum bet you can place on this one is $50, which will pay out $150 if the bet hits.

Ben Simmons to Record a Double Double (+125, FOX Bet)

In two games with Joel Embiid in the lineup this season, Ben Simmons has put together averages of 15.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. This matchup should lend itself well to Simmons having a big game on the boards. Additionally, just one season ago Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game.

Sixers vs. Raptors Prediction

Pick: Choosing a team in this toss-up matchup doesn’t bring enough value to be worth a bet on the moneyline alone. Given the Raptors’ 24-4 record against the season dating back to 2013-14, take the Raptors to Win and Kyle Lowry Over 2.5 Made 3-Pointers. Also consider throwing some money down on the Ben Simmons and Kyle Lowry bets independent of outcome.

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