Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets 8/21/20: NBA Basketball free preview, analysis, prediction, odds and pick against the spread.
2020-08-21 13:30:00 EDT
The Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors meet Friday in game three of NBA playoff action at the HP Field House.
The Brooklyn Nets need a victory here if they have any chance of getting back in this series down 0-2. The Brooklyn Nets are averaging 104.5 points on 42.9 percent shooting and allowing 112.3 points on 44.6 percent shooting. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is averaging 21.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while Garrett Temple is averaging 16.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. Joe Harris is the third double-digit scorer and Caris LeVert is dishing 13 assists. The Brooklyn Nets are shooting 32.5 percent from beyond the arc and 69.8 percent from the free thitem line. The Brooklyn Nets are allowing 35 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 45.5 rebounds per game.
The Toronto Raptors can all but put this series to bed with a victory here and a 3-0 lead. The Toronto Raptors are averaging 112.3 points on 44.6 percent shooting and allowing 104.5 points on 42.9 percent shooting. Fred VanVleet is averaging 27 points and 10.5 assists while Kyle Lowry is averaging 18.5 points and 4.5 assists. Pascal Siakam is the third double-digit scorer and Norman Powell is grabbing 4.5 rebounds. The Toronto Raptors are shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc and 76.9 percent from the free thitem line. The Toronto Raptors are allowing 32.5 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 45.9 rebounds per game.
The Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 playoff games as a favorite, 43-20 ATS in their last 63 games playing on 1 days rest and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall. The Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog, 9-2 ATS in their last 11 Friday games and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The under is 8-3 in Raptors last 11 overall. The over is 5-2 in Nets last 7 overall. The Raptors are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Brooklyn.
The Toronto Raptors are obviously the better team here and have been money for the most part in the bubble when it comes to covering spreads. However, the Nets gave the Raptors a run for their money in game two and the defensive effort improved a lot. The Nets are also now 4-1 against the spread this season as a double-digit underdog and have covered five of their last six games as an underdog overall. Massive talent gap, but the Nets play hard and they can do just enough to hang within the number as long as their defensive effort is there. I have a hard time passing up this many points.
