The Toronto Raptors should thank the likes of the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks. Their 27-game losing streak and 7-23 record against the spread, respectively, have distracted the world from noticing just how badly things are going north of the border.
As Toronto seemingly collapses, is anyone bad enough to give Toronto the edge? If anyone is, aside from the Pistons, it may be the Washington Wizards — also owing Detroit a thank you for sitting last in the East.
The Raps have been playing like they belong with Washington and Detroit, something I think will be shown on the court tonight despite NBA odds labeling Toronto as such a hefty favorite. Find out more in my free NBA picks for the Raptors vs. Wizards on December 27.
Raptors vs Wizards odds
Raptors vs Wizards predictions
Outside of the most stout fans of the Toronto Raptors, not enough of the NBA world is talking about what is happening in Toronto. The Raptors have gone 3-10 outright since Thanksgiving weekend.
It's not that Toronto was in a great position before this tailspin. It stood at 8-9 and No. 11 in the East on Nov. 27, but it was only two games back from No. 6 and two games clear of No. 12. The Raptors looked like a team that would have a chance at competing for the play-in, and at that point, players like Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes could propel Toronto into an intriguing first-round matchup.
And now the Raptors are at No. 12 in the East, six games back from No. 6, only 3.5 games up on the Hornets at No. 13. Toronto’s -2.4 net point differential fits right in at No. 12 in the East, buoyed in appearance by just how bad the Bottom 3 teams are there.
The Raptors are flailing at a rate worse than that fall in the standings even suggests. They've gone 2-8 ATS this month, and those eight ATS losses have come by an average of 10.1 points worse than bookmakers’ expectations. Toronto is not even making its backers sweat as they lose money.
There is little reason to hype the Washington Wizards these days, let’s not deny that. But Washington is at least living up to — or, more precisely, living down to — expectations, going 14-14-1 ATS this season (6-4-1 this month).
The Wizards can at least be trusted to be what they are, an underperforming roster with a few costly pieces, namely Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole shooting 45.2% and 44.2% from the field, respectively. That much cannot be said for the Raptors.
They can no longer be trusted with anything, not even a 7.5-point spread in Washington.
My best bet: Wizards +7.5 (-110 at PointsBet)
Raptors vs Wizards same-game parlay
Wizards +7.5
Jakob Poeltl Under 8.5 rebounds
Kyle Kuzma 4+ made threes
The most baffling part of the Raptors’ struggles is the roster has so many quality pieces. This is why Toronto is the most notable trade market, likely to hold up any other trades across the league until it decides who it is willing to move.
Jakob Poeltl hardly deserves blame for this tailspin, but it's worth noting he's averaging only 7.3 rebounds in December. He was averaging a full rebound more than that through his first 19 games of the season.
And that may be emphasized tonight. Long shots lead to long rebounds, and Kuzma and Poole will be sure there are plenty of long shots. About half of their misses are on threes (8.4 of 18.3 misses per game this month). As they miss, possessions will pass by without Poeltl getting a hand near the ball.
But they will not only miss. Kuzma is shooting 35.1% from deep this month, making 2.4 per game. He's reached four threes in a game only twice in the 11 games this month. Why put faith in him tonight, then? The Raptors rank No. 23 in the league by allowing opponents to shoot 38% from deep this season.
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Raptors vs Wizards spread and Over/Under analysis
The Raptors opened as 6.5-point favorites on Tuesday evening, a number that held into the morning before jumping to -7.5 or even -8, depending on your sportsbook. Putting that kind of faith in Toronto does not make sense to yours truly.
The Raptors have gone 2-5 as favorites in this woeful stretch — both outright and ATS — including 0-3 as moderate favorites of more than a bucket but still in single digits.
In that same range, the Wizards are 2-3, also both outright and ATS, as underdogs of +3.5 to +9 this month.
The total opened at 238 late on Tuesday before climbing to 239 at sunrise and then 240 in the late morning on Wednesday, momentarily peaking at 240.5 before returning to 240. Despite its impressive individual defenders, Toronto has seen Overs cash in 15 of its 29 games this season, that defense less than the sum of its parts.
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Raptors vs Wizards betting trend to know
Toronto has gone 0-4 ATS in its last four road games. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Wizards.
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Raptors vs Wizards game info
| Location: | Capital One Arena, Washington, DC |
| Date: | Wednesday, December 27, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Sportsnet, MNMT2 |
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