Raptors vs Trail Blazers Picks and Predictions: Trent Will Thrive In Familiar Territory

The Toronto Raptors are coming off one of their most disappointing performances of the season, surrendering 127 points in a loss to the lowly Detroit Pistons.

The Raps now hit the road, where they have been a great bet, to take on a Portland Trail Blazers team that is still trying to find its footing on offense and could be without superstar Damian Lillard.

Can Toronto bounce back as short betting road favorites against Portland? Find out in our free picks and predictions for Raptors vs. Blazers on November 15.

Raptors vs Trail Blazers odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Raptors opened this matchup as 1-point underdogs and the Blazers have seen the early money, moving the line to +2. Meanwhile, the total hit the board at 213 and has been bet down to 211.5. 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 Trail Blazers predictions

• Prediction: Raptors moneyline (+105)
• Prediction: Under 211.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Gary Trent Jr. Over 2.5 Made Threes (-105)

Predictions made on 11/15/2021 at 2:37 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Raptors vs Trail Blazers game info

• Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR
• Date: Monday, November 15, 2021
• Tip-off: 9:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ROOT Sports, TSN

Raptors vs Trail Blazers betting preview

Injuries

Raptors: Fred VanVleet PG (Questionable), Precious Achiuwa PF (Questionable).
Blazers: Damian Lillard PG (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Under is 5-0 in the Trail Blazers' last five games as a favorite. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Trail Blazers.

Raptors vs Trail Blazers picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

Dwane Casey always seems to put up a decent fight against his former team and the Raptors were left licking their wounds after Saturday night’s 127-121 loss as 7.5-point favorites. It was shocking to see a Pistons team ranked dead last in scoring and offensive rating put up 127 points on the tenacious Raptors defense.

So, what does that mean against a Trail Blazers team that ranks 10th in offensive rating and 13th in scoring? Well, the status of superstar Damian Lillard matters a lot. The point guard has been struggling through the early part of this season, but it's still Dame Lillard and his impact will be felt if he can’t go.

Lillard missed the Blazers’ last game with an abdomen injury and they got crushed 124-95 as 5.5-point road underdogs by the Denver Nuggets, where they shot just 33 percent from 3-point range. Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum tried his best to keep his team in the game going 5 for 10 from deep, but if Lillard can’t go, and they can key in on McCollum, it could be a long night for the Blazers.

That said, the Raptors are dealing with injuries of their own. Fred VanVleet is still dealing with a groin issue while Precious Achiuwa is recovering from a shoulder injury. Both are questionable for this matchup. 

This game feels like a bit of a toss-up, but the Blazers probably have the edge if Dame ends up playing. If not, the Raptors have more depth going against a Portland team that ranks 22nd in defensive rating and 25th in opponent field goal percentage. So, if you take a side here maybe look at the value with the Raptors moneyline.

Prediction: Raptors moneyline (+105)

Over/Under analysis

The Raptors are a tough team to figure out when it comes to totals due to a contrasting style that both creates a ton of transition buckets and is extremely deliberate in the halfcourt. That said, this feels like a game where we can strongly lean towards the Under. 

Despite their points off turnovers, the Raps rank 29th in the NBA in pace. Additionally, Toronto ranks 21st in scoring, averaging 105.4 points per game. While the Blazers aren’t a great defensive team, the Raps have proven they're just not a consistent half-court scoring team at the moment. And it doesn’t make things any easier if one of their best shooters can’t play.

The Blazers, as noted, struggled without Lillard. Even though he has been struggling, teams still have to respect the kind of superstar talent he possesses, which makes the Blazers tougher to guard. Take Lillard away, allowing the Raps to focus on McCollum, and scoring could be tough for Portland once again. 

Once again, keep an eye on the status of Lillard and VanVleet, but if they can’t go, the Under looks like a great play at this number.

Prediction: Under 211.5 (-110)

Best bet

While we don’t know if Lillard or VanVleet will play this game, we know Gary Trent Jr. and Norm Powell will. The two shooting guards were traded for one another last season, and tonight we're focusing on Trent. 

The SG has been everything the Raptors could have wanted and more since acquiring him. He's been an outstanding defender this season and is one of the Raptors' more reliable 3-point shooters. 

Trent is shooting 35.2 percent from beyond the arc over his last seven games and has hit three or more triples four times in that span. He has also gone 8 for 19 over the last two games, which includes taking 10 threes last time out with no Fred in the lineup. 

Now, he faces a Portland team that struggles with perimeter defense and ranks 27th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. The Over on Trent’s made threes looks like a solid value whether VanVleet can play or not.

Pick: Gary Trent Jr. Over 2.5 Made Threes (-105)

Pages related to this topic