The Brooklyn Nets are staring at the possibility of an early exit as they play Game 6 at home against the hard-charging Toronto Raptors. Can the Nets avoid crashing out of the Playoffs in front of their home crowd, or will the Raptors secure a date with the Miami Heat in the second round after tonight’s ball game? Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs look to finish off the pesky Dallas Mavericks on the road.
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Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets (7:00 PM EST)
Line: Toronto Raptors (+5) at Brooklyn Nets (-5); total 191.0 – view these lines
Betting on the Toronto Raptors
One more sizzling game from Kyle Lowry (36 points in Game 5) and the young Toronto Raptors can put the Brooklyn Nets away for good in Game 6.
Lowry (21.8 PPG) and his backcourt buddy, DeMar DeRozan (24.2 PPG), have constantly delivered for the Raptors, and have given the Nets the biggest headaches. Together, they are averaging 40 PPG on 40.4% shooting.
The Raptors are 3-1 ATS in their last four road games. Moreover, they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as underdogs by six points or less.
Betting on the Brooklyn Nets
On the verge of a disappointing early exit in the Playoffs, the Nets are in survival mode when they host Toronto on Friday. In order to force a Game 7, they need their assembly of highly paid stars to show up. The Nets are 7-3 SU in their last 10 home games
Joe Johnson came out flat in the first half of Game 5, scoring just four points during that stretch before unleashing a scorching 26-point outburst in the second half, allowing the Nets to erase a 26-point deficit. Aside from Johnson, none of Brooklyn’s starters in Game 5 had noteworthy performances; Deron Williams (11.5 PPG in last two games) only had 13 points, while Paul Pierce churned out a dismal 10-point output.
Writer’s Prediction
Brooklyn will not fold just yet. The Nets will force Game 7, thanks to huge games from Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson. However, trust the Raptors to cover the +5, given that they haven’t been blown out in the series.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:00 PM EST)
Line: San Antonio Spurs (-3) at Dallas Mavericks (+3); total: 198.5 – view these lines
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs
[sc:NBA240banner ]Once again, the San Antonio Spurs scored almost at will inside in Game 5. With 54 points in the paint, the Spurs increased their total to 234 points in the shaded area, a big difference compared to the Mavericks, who only have 170 points throughout five games in the series.
Aside from continued excellence inside, the Spurs are coming off a 24-assists performance, which fueled the team’s excellent offense. San Antonio shot 41-88 (46.6%) from the floor in Game 5, which includes going 8-16 (50%) from the three-point region.
The Spurs are 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 games at Dallas.
Betting on the Dallas Mavericks
Despite losing in Game 5, Dallas still played far from what a typical No.8 seed usually would against a No. 1 seed as they have visibly given the Spurs no reason at all to think that this series would be a cakewalk. The Mavericks are now 6-0 ATS in their last six games after covering their 6.5-point spread as road underdogs during that game.
Dirk Nowitzki had his best game of the series thus far, tallying 26 points (10-20 from the field), while Vince Carter top scored for the Mavericks with a 28-point production coming off the bench. However, Shawn Marion continues to flounder after contributing 20 points in Dallas’ Game 2 victory. He is averaging just 6.3 PPG in the last three games. With the season on the line, Marion must bring his A-game tonight.
The total has gone over in six of Dallas’ last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Mavericks may have their backs against the wall, but they have a lot of veterans, who have a ton of experience in this kind of situation. Dallas will win and cover as home underdogs.
