Toronto Raptors vs Orlando Magic Predictions, Picks, Odds, and NBA Basketball Betting Preview – Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 1 Game 3 – April 19 2019
The Toronto Raptors finally flashed their deadly form in the playoffs, as they took the Orlando Magic to the woodshed in Game 2. The series now shifts to Orlando, where the Magic will look to get bounce back and get the lead again, but that’s going to be easier said than done now that Toronto has gotten momentum. The Raptors are +1,200 to win the NBA title, while the Magic are +25,000 to win it all.
Betting on the Toronto Raptors (58-24 Regular Season)
Kyle Lowry wasn’t going to turn into a ghost for the second playoff game in a row on Tuesday, as the All-Star point guard bounced back from a a zero-point performance in the loss to Orlando in Game 1 by dropping 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field in Game 2’s 111-82 home win. He also added seven assists and four rebounds in 38 minutes. Kawhi Leonard, meanwhile, improved his production, scoring 37 points to lead the Raptors – 12 more than his output in the series opener. Now that the Raptors have seemingly gotten their rhythm and shrugged off the stigma of Game 1’s upset loss, they should be able to control the game better from the start this coming Friday. What’s giving Toronto more optimism is the expectation that Marc Gasol will have a breakout game in the playoffs for the Raptors sooner than later. Gasol has yet to score more than 13 points in a game these playoffs, scoring just nine points in Game 2 but finished with a plus-minus of +22. The Raptors are also hoping their 3-point shooting will carry over into Game 3 after hitting 11 3s in Game 2.
The Raptors are 5-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last six road games.
Betting on the Orlando Magic (42-40 Regular Season)
D.J. Augustin isn’t going to score 25 points every game for the Magic. After putting up that many points in Game 1, the former Texas Longhorns guard went just 1-for-6 shooting from the field and finished Game 2 with only nine points. But that dip in offensive production is something that’s not really shocking for a player like Augustin. Instead, it’s big man Nikola Vucevic’s relative silence in the series thus far that’s concerning the Magic more. Vucevic averaged 20.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game back in the regular season, but scored just 11 in Game 1 and coughed up six points in Game 2. The Magic are not going to survive a series against a team of Toronto’s caliber if Vucevic is going to compile those kind of numbers. Perhaps a return to Orlando is just what the center needs to light up a fire underneath him. The Magic will also have to cut down on their errors, as they had 17 turnovers in Game 2 to just seven by Toronto.
Orlando has been God sent to bettors of late when the team is playing in Amway Center, as the Magic are 9-1 straight up (SU) and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games.
