The Toronto Raptors are enjoying the most important 5-game winning streak in franchise history, as they come out of their strong Eastern Conference Finals finish and carry the momentum right into the NBA Finals Game 1. The game was no fluke against the favored (by most) Warriors, as they led from early mid first quarter and never looked back en route to a 118-109 victory. Not that it didn’t have some tense moments for the fans, mind you, as Golden State cut it darn close on more than a few occasions, but the Raps, especially Spicy P, answered back every time. Can they answer their fans call to take Game 2 before heading into dangerous territory in Oakland? You could tell via the post-game conference chatter from Kerr, Thompson, and Green (in particular) that the Warriors don’t plan on letting things slip again on Sunday as their critical goal to take one game in Canada edges near.
Going into the event, the sportsbook favors Toronto by just 2-points, while NBA series pricing still favors Golden State with -145 odds to win the NBA Finals. Will the Raptors show that they’re the real deal and deserve to be here against the current world champs?
Betting on the Golden State Warriors (57-25 Regular Season)
Thompson and Curry put up the points they were supposed to put up in Game 1 (or any game without Durant for that matter) but it was done quietly and without impact – which equates no real dagger-in-the-heart 3’s from the Splash Brothers. Golden State was simply never able to shut the Toronto fans up as their opponent answered every damn time. Draymond Green had a solid triple-double, going 10-10-10 across the board, but even he admitted that his balanced offensive performance was overshadowed by his poor defense against Pascal Siakam who put in 32 points, with each bucket coming when it counted most. The rest of the Warriors’ floor staff was stifled and shut down by Toronto’s vicious defense, including Andre Iguodala (6-points) who looked bothered by a leg injury and simply had no gas in the tank. If the Golden State Warriors expect to get passed this enthusiastic (Kawhi Leonard aside) Raptors squad without Durant they will have to fire on all cylinders. Toronto D makes that prospect very difficult. And what about Durant? The small-power forward is expected to return for Game 4, not Game 2, so Raps fans can rest easy for a little while longer.
After a loss this season (playoffs included) the Golden State Warriors are 13-16 against the spread (ATS), covering just 44.8% of the time.
Betting on the Toronto Raptors (58-24 Regular Season)
Drake was surprisingly quiet (for Drake, that is) despite his team’s impressive performance. But hot dang Spicy P was a beast, answering the call to score every time Golden State looked like they might tie things up. He was the hero of the game with 32 points and 8 very important rebounds. And even though the Warriors actually outrebounded the Raptors 47-42 Toronto pulled down the ones that counted most. And that was the theme of the game, with Toronto being there with both an offensive and defensive answer each time Golden State started to play like Golden State. It seemed like the Raptors were hitting a significantly greater 3-point percentage, and yet the final tally was 39.4% (Toronto) to 38.7% (Golden State). But again, the Raps drained theirs when it mattered. The home team did have a solid edge in field goal percentage though, boasting 50.6% from the field versus the visitor’s 43.6%. They also turned the ball over less, losing it 10 times against their opponent’s 17 turnovers. Five players not named Kyle Lowry (7-points) ended up in strong double-digits, and while Kawhi Leonard managed 23 points he had an off game. This should scare Kerr and company heading into Game 2, as both Lowry and Leonard will likely put up much greater numbers to complement the rest of their hungry team’s performance.
After a win this season the Toronto Raptors are 34-35-1 ATS, covering 49.3% of the time.
Writer’s Prediction
The Raptors roar into Game 2 and extend their playoff winning streak, winning 115-109.
