On Saturday, 03/08, the Toronto Raptors (20-42) will host the Washington Wizards (12-49) in an Eastern Conference Regular-Season match-up. The Raptors have skidded to the 13th spot, whereas the Wizards have held the worst record in the league for a long time now. Will the Raptors notch an easy win against the league’s punching bag? Read about the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Raptors: Promising core, but there is a long road ahead
The Toronto Raptors will enter the affair after playing against the Utah Jazz on the previous night. Before that, they stitched a 1-point win against the Orlando Magic as RJ Barrett put up 21 points and Ja’Kobe Walter hit the game-winning shot. It was their second straight win after a three-game losing streak as they have lost 10 out of their last 15 games. They are mathematically in the race for the Play-in tournament but inspire little confidence to stitch together a huge winning streak to improve their chances. The quartet of Barrett(21.7 points per game), Immanuel Quickley(16.5 PPG), Scottie Barnes(19.8 PPG), and Gradey Dick(14.1 PPG), brings excitement but none of these players have developed into prime options yet.
Additionally, they are also waiting for Brandon Ingram to return from his injury, and he can be a wonderful offensive piece, too, during their transition from rebuilding to playoff contention. Will the Raptors develop around these players, or are they still hunting for a franchise face? The next draft will be huge for them to take the next step.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: AJ Lawson | SG: Ja’Kobi Walter | SG/SF: Jamal Shead | SF: Scottie Barnes | C: Orlando Robinson
Key Injuries/Updates: Immanuel Quickley has been downgraded to OUT for the game. The status of RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl is UNCLEAR. Ulrich Chomche, Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo are OUT.
Wizards: No end to the misery
The Wizards enter the match after a 3-point win against the Utah Jazz as Kyshawn George put up 23 points. They have won three out of their last five games but had a 6-game losing streak before that. They have oddly done better since February, with a 6-8 record, to erase at least a little bit of hurt caused by a 6-41 start. At any rate, they have gone through too many lineup changes and a new cast almost every other month. Overall, they are still hunting for a franchise face and don’t have a dynamic core like Toronto. The Wizards will hope to get the #1 pick in the 2025 Draft to land generational talent Cooper Flagg.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG/SG: Bub Carrington | SG: Bilal Coulibaly | SF: Khris Middleton | SF: Kyshawn George | C: Alex Sarr
Key Injuries/Updates: The status of Jordan Poole and Malcolm Brogdon is UNCLEAR. Saddiq Bey is OUT.
The Raptors can field an undermanned lineup in this game, which can impact a lot of dynamics. Meanwhile, the Wizards have been in full-blown experimental mode with their lineups, so it is difficult to adjudge the nature of the total. But often, such games can be a scoring fest as the defenses suffer from communication breakdowns. The total can be in the 230+ points range, but I am not confident, as usual, about the total returns.
Projected Predictions:
Scottie Barnes to score over 21.5 points: The Raptors’ forward has fallen below the average of 20 PPG since February. I expect him to be in the 22-25 points range IF he plays.
Immanuel Quickley to make over 3.5 triples: The sharpshooting guard has averaged 2.3 triples per game this season. I expect him to nail 4 or 5 three-pointers in this game.
Alex Sarr to score over 13.5 points: The rookie center has been inconsistent throughout the season; sometimes, he goes past the 15-point mark, and in other instances, he is held under 10. I expect him to be in the 14-17 points range here.
Khris Middleton to score over 15.5 points: The Wizards Wing has tallied 15.7 points per game in the three games since his return from injury. He is yet to cross the 20-point mark as a Wizards player, but I expect him to get close to that number here.
Both teams are going to be short-handed here, which makes the scenario more unpredictable than usual. Meanwhile, Toronto will come into this game after playing against the Jazz on the previous night, complicating their chances a little. However, Raptors’ confidence will be sky-high after winning against the Jazz by 9 points. Despite that, I see the Wizards having a chance to pull off an upset here, but they don’t instill confidence. Overall, I see Washington weaving a win here by around 5-8 points, meanwhile, the bookmakers believe the Raptors can notch a win around similar margin. Let us see if going against the odds is feasible here!
Safe Spread Pick: Wizards -1.5 for +180 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Geoff Burke- Imagn Images
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