With Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poetl both out, RJ Barrett will be called upon to lead Toronto’s offense in the Pacific Northwest tonight. Rohit Ponnaiya explains it all in our Raptors vs. Trail Blazers betting picks.
Two rebuilding NBA teams face off on the West Coast tonight as the Portland Trail Blazers host the Toronto Raptors. The Raps have struggled but are 2.5-point favorites against a Blazers team that has the second-worst record in the league.
You probably have to be a fan of one of these teams if you’re considering tuning into this one, but there are still some good betting opportunities available in the NBA Odds. Without further ado, here are my best free ones NBA picks and predictions for Raptors against Trail Blazers on Saturday, March 9.
Raptors vs. Trail Blazers odds
Raptors vs Trail Blazers Predictions
Not only are these two teams terrible, but they are also decimated by injuries.
THE Portland Blazers the starting center is missing Deandre Ayton and its backup Robert Williams IIIwith Malcolm Brogdon, Scoot HendersonAnd Shaedon Sharpe. Second top scorer Jerami Scholarship will also be a decision at match time.
THE Toronto Raptors are without a starting center Jakob Poeltlstar ahead Scottie Barnesand the versatile wing three and D, Bruce Brown. Barnes has the biggest loss as he is second on the team in points (19.9), assists (6.1) and rebounds per game (8.2).
However, Barnes’ absence should result in a higher usage rate for RJ Barrett, who has averaged 20.6 points per game since being acquired by Toronto. Barrett has scored at least 23 points in six of his last eight games and looks poised for another productive performance tonight.
It’s not really surprising that a horrible Blazers team is terrible on defense, but they have been particularly bad at defending the areas Barrett prefers to attack. Portland is dead last in the league in efficiency in rim defense and transition. ShotQualityBets.
The Blazers also allow plenty of shots in these areas, ranking in the Top 3 in the NBA in defensive frequency. Barrett attacks the rim at high frequency, ranking in the top 85th percentile in the Association, and he ranks eighth in the league in transition points per game (6.5).
Return Barrett to surpass his point total tonight.
My best bet: RJ Barrett Over 21.5 points (-125 at PointsBet)
Parlay Raptors vs Trail Blazers in the same game
RJ Barrett Over 21.5 points
Less than 227
Raptors money line
It may seem counterintuitive to take the Over on Barrett’s point total and the Under on the game total, but it actually makes a lot of sense and creates a nice multiplier in this SGP. Keep in mind that the Raps are averaging just 106.8 points per game over their last four games and are without Barnes and Poetl.
As bad as the Blazers are defensively, they are better on that side of the court than on offense, where they are averaging just 107.8 points per game. Considering Portland is missing four key scorers and could be missing another if Grant sits out for the second night in a row, that total is way too high.
The Raptors should ultimately be able to beat a Blazers team that is just 2-12 in its last 14 games and playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
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Raptors vs Trail Blazers Breakdown and Over/Under Analysis
The Raps opened as 1.5-point road favorites with an Over/Under at 224. The money came in on Toronto and Over, moving the line up to -3 with the total moving to 227.
It’s been a tough season for the Raptors, who traded two of their best players midseason and lost Barnes to a hand injury last week. They are just 10-21 on the road but are 16-14-1 against the spread. In their last game, they lost 120-113 in Phoenix but managed to come in as 10.5 point underdogs.
The Blazers have the second-worst record in the NBA at 17-45 and just lost 16 points at home to the Rockets last night. They are 2-12 straight in their last 14 games, but have managed to cover in four of their last five.
Raptors vs Trail Blazers betting trend to know
The Blazers are 13-27 ATS in their last 40 home games (-16.65 units / -38% ROI). Find more NBA Betting Trends for the Raptors against the Trail Blazers.
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Raptors vs Trail Blazers Game Info
| Location: | Moda Center, Portland, Oregon |
| Date: | Saturday March 9, 2024 |
| Trick : | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN4, Roots Sports |
Raptors vs Trail Blazers Latest Injuries
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