With less than 30 games to the end of the regular season, the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets need a run of wins to force themselves into playoff contention. They face each other in an Atlantic division rivalry at the Scotiabank Arena on Feb 23 in a must-win game for either side following a run of losses.
Performance in the Last Game
The Raptors (19-36) are 0.345 after 55 games and are in a run of three successive losses. Their last outing against the Indiana Pacers on 14 February was a narrow 125-127 loss. They led in the first two quarters before falling off 32-36 and 22-26 in the last two quarters.
2024 NBA All-Star Scottie Barnes led all players with 29 points and had 12 rebounds and assists, but his performance was not enough to get the Raptors back to winning ways. RJ Barrett also had a top performance with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while Jakob Poeltl had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists.
The Brooklyn Nets are one place ahead of the Raptors in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They have a 4-6 record in their last 10 games, with a run of successive losses to the Boston Celtics in their last two games. The first was a 110-118 home loss before losing 136-86 in what was a woeful performance.
The Nets (21-33) lost by a whopping 50 points, having already been 36 points behind after the second quarter. They further went 10 points behind in the third quarter. Although they improved in the fourth quarter, with 31 points, it was too late to salvage the situation.
Former LSU star, Trendon Watford, led the Nets in points with 15 points, while former two-time NCAA Champion, Mikal Bridges, shot 10 points with four rebounds and four assists.
Despite coming off the bench and only playing 12 minutes in the game, shooting guard Keon Johnson was slightly impressive with nine points, one rebound, and two assists. The Nets allowed the Celtics to out rebound them with a 51-31 margin, a stat they must improve when they come up against the Raptors.
Injury News
Raptors guard Markquis Nowell is not expected to be back for this game because of the hamstring injury he sustained during the G League Raptors 905’s 97-91 win over the Delaware Blue Coats.
The Raptors also lost Kelly Olynyk to a back strain in their match-up against the Pacers. It was the center’s third game for his hometown team since he was traded from the Utah Jazz, and there are no indications he would be back in action against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets will still be without small forward Dariq Whitehead, who will be out of the season after successful surgery on his left shin. Ben Simmons is expected to be back against the Raptors after sitting out the last game against the Celtics due to injury management.
Who Will Triumph? Our Betting Picks
Regarding which side will come out as a winner, both the Raptors and the Nets are struggling to put a run of wins in place. However, since the Raptors are at home, they’re a slight favorite to win this one.
As of the time of this guide, we’re backing the Raptors with odds of 27/40* and the Nets with odds of 21/20* to win. The Raptors also have odds of 9/10* to cover a -2.5 spread, while the Nets also have odds of 9/10* to cover a +2.5 spread.
If you want to bet on players, a wide range of markets are available. For example, following his 29 points heroic against the Pacers, Raptors’ Scottie Barnes is backed at a price of 37/40* to cover over 21.5 points. Nets’ Mikal Bridges also has odds of 20/21* to cover 23.5 points.
The game is likely to be closely contested and would be won by the side that wants it the most. Time is ticking to secure a place in the playoffs or at least get a place in the play-in. Both the Raptors and the Nets will be looking forward to a win to kickstart a good run of form.
*All odds are correct at time of writing and are subject to change
18+ | Begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly
