The Philadelphia 76ers are looking for back-to-back wins for the second time in the series as they try to close out the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Toronto Raptors in Game 7. After losing Game 1, Philadelphia responded with a pair of wins in the 2019 NBA Playoffs to take a 2-1 series lead but then faltered, losing Games 4 and 5. The Sixers staved off elimination from the NBA Playoffs 2019 on Thursday with a home win to set the stage for Sunday. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET from Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. Philadelphia won the only other playoff series against the Raptors in 2001 in seven games. The Raptors are 6.5-point favorites in the latest 76ers vs. Raptors odds, down from an open of seven, while the over-under is 209.5. You’ll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying about the game before making any Sixers vs. Raptors picks of your own.
The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks. It entered Week 30 of the 2018-19 NBA season with a sterling record on its top-rated picks, returning more than $3,000 in profit to anybody following them. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA money line picks, entering Week 30 on a strong 85-60 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.
Now the model has dialed in on Sixers vs. Raptors. We can tell you it’s leaning over, but it’s also generated a strong against the spread pick that hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. That one is available exclusively at SportsLine.
The model knows the Raptors, the 2-seed in the East, have advanced past the first round in each of the past four seasons, but are looking to reach the conference finals for the first time since losing in six games to the Cavaliers in 2016. Forward Pascal Siakam has been a key to Toronto’s playoff success, scoring at least 20 points in five of the six games in the series against Philadelphia. Guard Kyle Lowry had 20 points in Game 2 and 19 more in Game 5.
Statistically, the Raptors have the edge over the 76ers in a number of categories, including points off turnovers (212 to 168), 3-point percentage (.335 to .331), free throw percentage (.817 to .786) and points allowed (96.5 to 106.9). Defensively, Toronto has held Joel Embiid to at least 10 points under his average in all but one game and limited forward Tobias Harris to 13.8 points per game in the series.
But just because Toronto has dominated Philadelphia on its home court doesn’t guarantee it will cover the Raptors vs. 76ers spread on Sunday.
That’s because the 76ers have gotten strong play from guard Jimmy Butler, who is averaging 23 points and 7.3 rebounds in the series, including 30 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2. Butler scored 25 points in Game 6, his ninth career playoff game and fourth of the 2019 NBA Playoffs with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Also coming up big when Philadelphia needed it the most was guard Ben Simmons, who scored 21 points in Game 6.
Statistically, the 76ers also have the edge in several key categories, including average points (110.4 to 104.6), total points in the paint (544 to 476), total second-chance points (170 to 109), average rebounds (49.2 to 41.2) and average assists (25.2 to 23).
So who wins Raptors vs. Sixers? And which side of the spread can you bank on in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Raptors vs. Sixers spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $3,000 on its top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
