The Toronto Raptors look to take a commanding lead in the 2019 NBA Finals when they meet the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 on Friday night in Oakland. Tipoff from Oracle Arena is set for 9 p.m. ET. In Game 3, the Raptors took advantage of a short-handed Golden State club to post a 123-109 road victory Wednesday night and grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who sat out Game 3 because of a hamstring injury, is expected to return in Game 4. But forward Kevin Durant, who hasn’t played in the NBA Finals, has been ruled out with his lingering calf injury. The Warriors are 4.5-point sportsbook favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 215 in the latest Warriors vs. Raptors odds. Before you make any Warriors vs. Raptors picks, be sure to check out the NBA Finals 2019 predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model
The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks. It entered the 2019 NBA Finals with a sterling record on its top-rated picks, returning more than $3,000 in profit to anybody following them this season. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA money line picks, entering the 2019 NBA Finals on a strong 85-61 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has honed in on Game 4 of Warriors vs. Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals. We can tell you it is leaning toward the over, and it says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. That pick is available only at SportsLine.
The model knows the Warriors will be in desperation mode as they aim to avoid a dreaded 3-1 deficit while in pursuit of their third consecutive NBA title. A Game 4 victory would assure them of at least one more contest at Oracle Arena and push the series to a minimum of six games.
Golden State will undoubtedly benefit from the return of the battle-tested Thompson to provide a much-needed second scoring option alongside Stephen Curry. On the bright side in Game 3, Curry had his best performance in an NBA Finals game and his teammates helped keep the game competitive until the waning moments.
Despite nonstop defensive attention, Curry scored 47 points and also registered eight rebounds and seven assists. Draymond Green delivered another strong floor game with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Andre Iguodala added 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. Golden State also managed 30 trips to the free-throw line (converting 25 for 83.3 percent) and matched the physical Raptors to a 50-50 mark in rebounding.
Even so, a motivated Golden State club is far from a sure thing to cover the Warriors vs. Raptors spread on Friday against a Toronto club that will be determined to send the series home for an elimination contest in Game 5.
The Raptors took full advantage of Golden State’s depleted lineup from the outset in Game 3, setting the tone with intensity and crisp execution on both ends. They stormed out to a 60-52 halftime lead and never trailed in the second half while pushing the margin to 13 heading into the final quarter.
They shot 52.4 percent from the field and 95.2 percent from the free-throw line (20-of-21) as all five starters hit double figures. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Pascal Siakam had his way in the paint and finished with 18 points, nine boards and six assists. Danny Green hit six 3-pointers to account for his 18 points. Toronto already has won at least one road game in every series of the 2019 NBA Playoffs and, with another one Friday, will move within a victory of the first NBA championship in franchise history.
So who wins Game 4 of Raptors vs. Warriors? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Raptors vs. Warriors spread to jump on Friday, all from the advanced model that returned more than $3,000 on top-rated NBA picks this season.
