NBA Odds: Thunder-Raptors prediction, pick, how to watch
The Oklahoma City Thunder (34-35) visit the Toronto Raptors (33-36) on Thursday night! Action tips off at 7:40 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Thunder-Raptors prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Oklahoma City has won three straight to propel them into ninth place in the Western Conference. The Thunder covered 62% of their games while 58% went over the projected point total. Toronto has lost three of their last four but remains in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors covered 49% of their games while 57% went over. This will be the second and final meeting between the cross-conference foes. Oklahoma City defended its home court with a resounding 132-113 victory back in November.
Here are the Thunder-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Thunder-Raptors Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +6 (-110)
Toronto Raptors: -6 (-110)
Over: 231 (-110)
Under: 231 (-110)
How To Watch Thunder vs. Raptors
TV: Bally Oklahoma, Sportsnet
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Oklahoma City continues to defy preseason expectations as they are a serious contender to secure one of the play-in spots despite the jam-packed Western Conference. The Thunder feature an explosive offense that averages the third-most points per game. They excel at getting the ball inside and attacking the rim as their 55.2 points in the paint per game rank third across the entire league. While the Thunder can struggle defensively, they excel at getting into passing lanes and forcing turnovers. Oklahoma City forces 17.1 turnovers per game – the highest mark in the league.
The Thunder are led by Most Improved Player candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA has ascended into stardom this season and only seems to be getting better as the season goes on. He’s been on an absolute tear since the All-Star break, averaging 36 PPG while shooting 52% overall. The fifth-year guard is far more than just a scorer, however, and that is what could give Oklahoma City the edge tonight. Since the All-Star break, SGA has chipped in 6.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 3.0 STOCKS (steals plus blocks) per game. Those are absurd numbers for anyone – let alone a 24-year-old. While Toronto did hold him to just 20 points in their previous matchup, look for SGA to put up an expanded stat line in what should be a much more competitive matchup tonight.
For as good as SGA has been, Oklahoma City has to feel equally excited about the development of both Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey. Giddey has taken a predictable leap in his second NBA season and has become a near-nightly triple-double threat. Over his last 12 games, Giddey averaged 15.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 7.7 APG. While his outside shot is still inconsistent, his size and skill make him a difficult matchup for anyone on a nightly basis. As for Williams, the rookie has soared up redraft lists and would easily go in the top five if last summer’s draft got a do-over. He’s been especially impactful since the All-Star break, averaging 21 PPG and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 59%.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Toronto finally looks to be headed in the right direction. After hanging outside the playoff picture for a majority of the season, the Raptors have climbed to the No. 9 spot in the East. The Raptors feature one of the surest defenses in the NBA. Toronto allows just 112.1 PPG – the seventh-fewest mark in the league. In addition to that, they do an incredible job of forcing turnovers as they do so at the highest rate in the league. Those forced turnovers lead to a lot of easy baskets on the offensive end as their 17.4 fast break points per game rank third in the NBA. While the Thunder allow the fewest fast break points per game in the league, the Raptors’ depth and experience give them a serious edge tonight and makes them a strong bet to cover as moderate home favorites.
The Raptors have been incredibly balanced since the All-Star break. While they don’t have anyone averaging over 20 points per game, they do feature six players scoring in double figures. Leading the way is Pascal Siakam. The versatile forward has averaged 19.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 4.7 APG in 10 games since the break. While he is coming off back-to-back poor performance, his combination of size and skill make him a difficult matchup for OKC’s porous defense. Outside of him, look for Fred VanVleet (17.1 PPG since the All-Star break) and Jakob Poeltl (14.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG) to make a huge impact given their experience.
Final Thunder-Raptors Prediction & Pick
This line is almost too good to be true. OKC is playing some of their best basketball right now where as Toronto has lost three of four. Hammer the road underdogs.
Final Thunder-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +6 (-110)
