The first part of the awkward return of superstars happened at the beginning of January and now we’re treated to Part 2 when DeMar DeRozan and the San Antonio Spurs face the Toronto Raptors tonight. The Spurs crushed the Raptors in San Antonio and have covered the spread in the last five games vs the Raps while winning four of those games outright. The Raptors look a little different now with the addition of Marc Gasol and Toronto has won its last six games by an average of 10.6 points.
The Raptors opened as 7.5-point faves with a total of 227.5.
Standout Stats
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in their last eight games.
- The Spurs are first in the NBA in three-point percentage (40.1 percent) but are 29th in three-point attempts (24.9).
- The Raptors have won six games in a row by an average margin of 10.6 points.
- In the last five meetings between the Spurs and Raptors, the Spurs have covered the spread each time while going 4-1 SU.
- The OVER has hit in 10 of the Spurs’ last 11 games with an average combined score of 235.3 points and the OVER also hit when the Spurs hosted the Raptors on January 3.
My Best Bets For Spurs vs Raptors
Spurs +7.5 and OVER 227
While I will not dispute that the Raptors are the superior team, the return of DeMar DeRozan scares me too much to back them on the spread. I think the Spurs will want to come out of the all-star break strong and should be able to keep the game close with a Toronto squad still feeling itself out with the recent addition of Marc Gasol. The Raptors have always historically had trouble in this matchup so I think 7.5 points is too much.
I also like the OVER in this matchup because of the historical numbers of both teams going OVER totals. Both teams have been excellent at shooting the three while both have struggled to limit teams from beyond the arc. If you can’t decide on a spread, stick with the OVER.
