The Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers — two rivals jockeying for position inside the Eastern Conference — go head to head tonight at Wells Fargo Center.
The Sixers have stabilized after some post-Harden-trade turbulence with wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, the Raptors' five-game win streak came to an end after falling to LeBron and the Lakers in overtime two nights ago.
Will the Raptors get back in the win column or will they fall victim to Joel Embiid's Sixers? Read our NBA betting picks and predictions for Raptors vs. 76ers to find out.
Raptors vs 76ers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The 76ers hit the board as 6.5-point home favorites, was bet down to -5 but has since shot back up to -6.5 at the time of writing with Joel Embiid still listed as a game-time decision.
Meanwhile, the total opened at 224.5 and has taken a nosedive down to 219 as of 2:00 p.m. ET. Expect some further line movement with Embiid's status in question and be sure to shop around prior to tip-off.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Raptors vs 76ers predictions
Predictions made on 3/20/2022 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Raptors vs 76ers game info
• Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Date: Sunday, March 20, 2022
• Tip-off: 8:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Sportsnet, NBCS-Philadelphia
Raptors vs 76ers betting preview
Key injuries
Raptors: Fred VanVleet (Out), OG Anunoby (Out), Malachi Flynn (Out).
76ers: Joel Embiid (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Raptors are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. 76ers.
Raptors vs 76ers picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The Raptors have been one of the NBA's streakiest teams for much of the year — but particularly so since the All-Star break.
Toronto lost five of seven coming out of the mid-season break but upon the return of All-Star guard Fred VanVleet (21.1 points per game, 6.7 assists per game), the Raps reeled off five straight road wins — including a 117-112 win over the NBA-best Phoenix Suns.
But that six-game West Coast road swing caught up to the Raptors, falling to the Lakers in overtime in their return to Scotiabank Arena Friday night.
Now, Canada's team heads back on the road without VanVleet (ruled out due to rest) — this time for a date with a Sixers team ranking 10th in offensive rating and 12th defensively since James Harden came to town in mid-February.
And while we've seen flashes of how dominant this Joel Embiid-James Harden pairing could be, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows with Harden shooting just 34.1% from the floor over his last six games.
On the flip side, the Raptors have been running hot over the last two weeks ago. They're 5-1 both SU and ATS and rank inside the Top 10 in both defensive and offensive rating over that six-game stretch.
Without FVV, the Raptors will rely heavily on a scorching-hot Pascal Siakam (averaging 26.6 ppg on 52.1% over his last nine games) as well as Rookie of the Year candidate Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. who can heat up on a moment's notice.
The value of taking the points in this contest comes with what should be a lower-scoring contest. It's not in the Raptors' DNA to get into a track meet but that likely won't come tonight against the snail-paced Sixers (second last in pace).
Toronto will be desperate to get back in the win column as they try to avoid the play-in games, but at the very least, they should keep this game within a couple of buckets.
Prediction: Raptors +6.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
This line has come crashing down from 224.5 at open to 219 and as low as 218.5 in some spots. That drastic line movement makes sense — especially with VanVleet being ruled out — but it's still hard to back the Over in a spot like this.
Philadelphia has the league's second-best Under record this season (37-30-2) and as mentioned above, plays at one of the slowest paces in the NBA with a majority of its offense running through Embiid down low.
And while Toronto has been better offensively over the last six games, they struggled in the few games prior without VanVleet, averaging just 104.8 points per game in the seven games following the All-Star break.
Toronto is 6-4 to the Under over its last 10 while Philly is 5-2 over its last seven.
I would recommend staying away from this number, but with a gun to our heads, we'd lean Under.
Prediction: Under 219 (-110)
Best bet
Since the All-Star break, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has been playing some of the best basketball of his career.
As mentioned above, Siakam is in a nine-game stretch where he's posting averages of 26.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
With VanVleet ruled out, Pascal enters tonight's contest with a points line set at a moderate 22.5 — a number he's surpassed in seven of those nine games (five of which FVV played).
No FVV means extra ball-handling responsibilities for Siakam and additional scoring opportunities as the Raptors try to match Embiid and Harden on the other end. He'll also be eager to bounce back from just a 17-point game Friday night.
Pick: Pascal Siakam Over 22.5 points (-115)
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