Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets – 2014 NBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 3 – Betting Preview and Prediction

The Toronto Raptors out played the Brooklyn Nets down the stretch en route to a Game 2 victory on Tuesday to tie the series at 1-1. Now that the scene shifts to Brooklyn, can the Nets protect homecourt and regain the upper hand against their Canadian rivals?
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Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Round 1, Game 3 Betting Preview

Series Schedule & Results

Game 1 – April 19, Brooklyn 94, Toronto 87

Game 2 – April 22, Brooklyn 95, Toronto 100

Game 3 – April 25, 7:00PM ET, Toronto (+5) at Brooklyn (-5); total 191.0 – view all NBA lines

Game 4 – April 27, 7:00PM ET, Toronto at Brooklyn

Game 5 (if necessary) – April 30, Brooklyn at Toronto

Game 6 (if necessary) – May 2, Toronto at Brooklyn

Game 7 (if necessary) – May 4, Brooklyn at Toronto

Betting on the Toronto Raptors

[sc:NBA240banner ]Though they lack playoff experience, the Raptors still have their size advantage over the Nets. In Games 1 and 2, Toronto averaged 48.5 RPG, while Brooklyn grabbed just 33.5 RPG.  Furthermore, it seems DeMar DeRozan has rediscovered his shooting stroke. The first time All-Star recorded 30 points in Game 2, after contributing just 14 in Game 1, to lead his team to a hard-fought victory.

Toronto now travels to Brooklyn, where it is just 1-4 SU and 1-3-1 ATS dating back to 2012. The last four Raptors away games against the Nets have gone over the total.

To have a better shot at winning in this next visit, Coach Dwayne Casey needs his guys to take better care of the ball. His team had 40 turnovers in the first two games of the series, leading to a total of 34 Nets points. They will also have to do a better job of containing Joe Johnson, who is putting up 21 PPG this series.

Betting on the Brooklyn Nets

Although Paul Pierce has been a hero in the clutch for the Nets, his overall performance in the Playoffs has been lackadaisical. After a 15-point showing in Game 1, scored just seven on 2-of-11 shooting in Game 2.

In their last 10 games, the Nets are 8-2 SU at home, where they averaged 100.6 PPG this season, not to mention going 28-13 SU overall. Moreover, the Jason Kidd-coached squad shoots far better from three-point range at Barclays Center compared to their road games (39.4% vs. 33.9%), which should come in handy against a Raptors defense that allows opponents to make only 36% of their threes.

The Nets are only 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 games, as their aging stars have struggled to produce consistently. However, that could change if Kevin Garnett (5 points, 1-of-5 shooting in Game 2) rekindles some of his old KG magic.

Writer’s Prediction

Covering the spread may be tough in a series that has had few large leads, but the Nets should show up and win this game on the backs of a better shooting performance from beyond the arc.
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