The Toronto Raptors may not be winning games, but they have been as scrappy as a dino fighting over a bone, covering the spread in five straight games.
And wouldn’t you know it, they’ll be underdogs once again as they welcome another Raptors great to town when they host DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings.
My Kings vs. Raptors predictions look at why I like the Raptors to keep this one close, at least early on. Check out my NBA picks for this matchup on Saturday, October 2.
Raptors vs Kings prediction
My Raptors pick
Over 118 first half (-120 at PointsBet Canada)
My analysis
The Toronto Raptors are coming off another loss — this time to LeBronto and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the Raps' fourth loss in a row and now are at 1-5 for the season.
It hasn’t helped that Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown, and Kelly Olynyk have missed most of the season at this point. But despite being short-handed, the Raptors haven’t used that as an excuse and have played most of their opponents tough.
Somewhat surprisingly, it’s the Raptors' high-tempo offense keeping them afloat in these games. Toronto enters this game ranked seventh in pace and 14th in offensive rating, doing their best work inside the 3-point line. The Raptors are taking the fifth most shots per game, but the third-fewest threes per game.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings boast no shortage of offensive talent, and the trio of DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and De’Aaron Fox shouldn’t have much trouble scoring against a Raptors team that ranks dead last in defensive rating and is allowing a league-high 125.2 points per game.
Although the Kings look like they have improved defensively this season, they also play at a high tempo and have allowed 115 or more points in three of their five games. The potential high tempo of this matchup has me looking at the Over, but with both teams playing their second game in as many nights, I’m keeping it to the first half.
Raptors vs Kings same-game parlay
Over 118.5 first half
Gradey Dick Over 2.5 threes
Domantas Sabonis Over 6.5 assists
Part of the reason why the Raptors offense has become respectable has been because of the development of Gradey Dick.
The sophomore shooting guard ended his rookie campaign on a high note, and he’s taken it to the next level this season. Dick is averaging 20.8 points per game for the season and the last four games have been particularly impressive. He’s topped 25 points three times over those four games, which includes him shooting 39.4% from 3-point range on 8.3 attempts per game.
One area where the Kings are a little lax is on the perimeter. Sacramento allows the fifth-most three-point attempts to opponents per game. Give me Gradey to hit at least three treys tonight.
Meanwhile, another fun matchup to watch will be Sabonis vs. Jakob Poeltl. The Kings' big continues to do his thing, averaging 22.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.
With a matchup looming against Poeltl, I expect Sabonis to kick the ball to the outside a little more and run up those assist numbers.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Raptors vs Kings odds
Raptors vs Kings live odds
Raptors vs Kings opening odds
- Spread: Toronto +6.5 | Sacramento -6.5
- Moneyline: Toronto +225 | Sacramento -275
- Over/Under: Over 229.5 | Under 229.5
Odds courtesy of PointsBet Canada
Raptors vs Kings spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Raptors opened this matchup as 6.5-point home underdogs and bettors were quick to jump on the Kings, with the spread now sitting at 8.5.
- The Raptors have been a great bet this season thanks to their high-tempo offense, but I would prefer them in the first half since they are playing the second half of a back-to-back.
- The total hit the board at 229.5 and bettors have hammered the Over, with the number now at 234.5 as of Saturday afternoon.
- Toronto's combination of high-tempo offense and non-existent defense has made the Raptors a great Over bet, going 5-1 O/U this season.
Raptors vs Kings trend
Toronto has hit the game total Over in 13 of its last 16 games dating back to last season (+9.70 Units / 55% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Kings.
How to watch Raptors vs Kings
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Saturday, 11-2-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN4 |
Raptors vs Kings latest injuries
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