The banged-up Raptors head into Phoenix on Thursday night to take on the equally ailing Suns (9:00 p.m. ET/Sportsnet). Today we will dive into this interconference clash, uncovering the odds and sharing our best bets and top props.
Tuesday night yielded polar-opposite results for these squads, as the Suns went on a massive 26-3 run in the second quarter and mounted a huge overtime win over the Nuggets and the Raptors got completely destroyed 139-98 by the Pelicans.
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Phoenix soldiers on without Devin Booker (ankle), but Kevin Durant has stepped up along with some boosted stats from sharpshooters Grayson Allen and Bradley Beal.
The Raptors are even more short-handed, with Scottie Barnes suffering a fractured hand last weekend and now big man Jakob Poeltl undergoing surgery on an injured finger. Two thumbs down for the new-look Raps, who had been looking promising in the early stages of the roster retool.
It might not be the greatest game of all time, but it will certainly provide us with plenty of value betting opportunities. Let's jump into the odds and reveal our best bets from BetMGM to help you close out your Thursday in style.
Raptors at Suns prediction, player props, bets against the spread and moneyline
All odds and props are from BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.
- ATS: Suns -10.5 (-105) | Raptors +10.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Suns -500 | Raptors +375
- Over/under: O 231.5 (-105) | U 231.5 (-115)
The sportsbooks give a big edge to the home favorites, obviously due in large part to the massive void Toronto's lineup is facing without Barnes and Poeltl.
Phoenix just beat one of the best offenses in the NBA, the Nuggets, with KD not even shooting that well. That W could have been a momentum-swinger for this Suns team, which happens to be 8-2 ATS in its last 10 home games vs. the Raps.
Raptors at Suns predictions, best bets
The word "hapless" comes to mind when thinking about the Raptors' effort against the Pelicans. It certainly set a bit of a blueprint for future opponents like the Suns tonight, who have enjoyed strong and physical interior play from Jusuf Nurkic as of late (dude had 31 boards a couple games ago!).
We're also noticing that Toronto just isn't moving the ball very well without Barnes, which is not surprising given how big of a usage role he had been taking on since Pascal Siakam got traded. The Raps have averaged just 26.3 assists per game over their past three contests — down over three per game from their season average — while averaging over 14 turnovers per game in that stretch.
Phoenix, meanwhile, has been getting by on grit, physicality, and well-timed three-point shots. The Suns knocked down 15 treys in the come-from-behind victory over the Nuggets and forced Denver into an uncharacteristic 14 turnovers. The young Raptors could be in serious trouble if the Suns play a similar brand of defense, crash the boards and light it up from deep.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Suns 123, Raptors 110 — The Suns win (-500) and cover (-10.5), and the score finishes OVER the projected total (231.5).
Raptors at Suns: Top player prop bet
Kelly Olynyk assists — OVER 5.5 (+115)
Olynyk should take on some point center duties with Barnes and Poeltl sidelined, as the veteran Canadian stands as one of Toronto's best passers left.
Kelly O's not going to want much to do with Nurkic down low, and his floor-stretching range should be able to pull away some inside defense and free up some other Raptors shooters from deep and mid-range.
Olynyk had seven assists in his first start as a Raptor the other night, and we expect more of the same against the Suns tonight.
