Capital One Arena is the site for a late-afternoon showdown between the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards.
Both clubs are eager to stay above the cut line for the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, but which team will advance their cause in this spot?
Find out in our free NBA picks and predictions for the Raptors vs Wizards on Saturday, March 4.
Raptors vs Wizards best odds
Raptors vs Wizards picks and predictions
The Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards met just two days ago, with the latter pulling off a 119-108 victory.
Kyle Kuzma was the man of the hour for Washington, as he dropped 30 points on 10-for-24 shooting from the floor, including a 4-for-9 mark from downtown. Unfortunately for Kuz, big shooting nights like this one have been difficult to come by on a regular basis this season.
The Utah product is fresh off a month of February (seven games) in which he averaged only 17.7 ppg on 36% shooting from the floor — with a 28.6% shooting percentage from long range.
Bradley Beal might be the next place an optimistic Wizards bettor looks for production, but he’s been held below 20 points in three of his last four overall. Beal shot only 5 of 14 from the floor on Thursday despite knocking down three of the four long-range shots he attempted.
Kristaps Porzingis has been Washington’s most reliable source of offense all season long, and bettors should bank on him in the NBA player props today.
Porzingis was highly efficient against the Raptors on Thursday, tallying 25 points while shooting an outstanding 8-for-12 from the floor. He also knocked down all seven of his free throw attempts that night, marking the sixth straight night he got to the charity stripe at least seven times. Toronto is a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to fouls given on the road (14th), so this is an area that Porzingis can exploit.
“The Unicorn” should be able to duplicate his excellent shooting night from Thursday, as the Raptors are 28th in opponent FG% (45.3%) and 27th in opponent 3PT% (33.4%). Those numbers are even higher for Toronto on the road (49.3% and 37.6%, respectively).
Porzingis has exceeded his player point total in seven of his last 10 overall, averaging 26.5 ppg in that span.
My best bet: Kristaps Porzingis Over 23.5 points (-104 at BetRivers)
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Raptors vs Wizards spread analysis
The Wizards opened as favorites of 1.5 points, and the line has moved to -2 at most sites as of Saturday morning.
The Raptors rattled off six wins in a seven-game span last month, but enter this one losers of two of their last three. Poor shooting has plenty to do with that mark.
Toronto’s Top 3 sources of production — Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. — are 65th or worse in FG% across the NBA this season, with the latter two outside the Top 100 in the Association. The trio has shot a combined 42-for-131 (32.1%) over their last three contests.
The Wizards are sixth in field goal percentage allowed (46.5%), so it could be another long night for this trio.
If the game is as close as oddsmakers expect it to be, that works in Washington’s favor too. The Wizards are fourth in opponent free throws per FGA (.198), while the Raptors rank 25th (.223).
Trend bettors should note the Raps are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games, and 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games playing on one day of rest.
The Wizards are 24-10-1 ATS in their last 35 games following a SU win of more than 10 points, and 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a losing SU record.
Raptors vs Wizards Over/Under analysis
It’s a tricky call on the total tonight, which is sitting at 222 at most sites (although some 222.5s are available as of Saturday morning). That’s the number the Thursday meeting between these two teams closed at, and Over bettors squeaked by with a 227-point final tally.
A quick rematch could aid the defense, which knows more-or-less what to look for from their opponents. But then there’s the low-efficiency but occasional high-volume ways of Toronto’s offense to consider — coupled with the maddening inconsistency of Washington’s best players.
The Over is my lean, as I believe the Wizards will once again control the flow of the game at home, where they’re 15-13 on the season. Toronto is a dismal 11-20 on the road this year. Washington typically sees significantly higher totals that the one posted on this game.
The trends certainly suggest that an Over is in store.
The Raptors have exceeded the total in eight of their last 11 games playing on one day of rest, and nine of their last 13 road games against teams with a winning home record.
The Over is also 6-1 in the Wizards’ last seven games following a SU win of more than 10 points, and 20-8 in their last 28 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400.
Raptors vs Wizards betting trend to know
The Over is 11-5 in the Raptors’ last 16 road games. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Wizards.
Raptors vs Wizards game info
| Location: | Capital One Arena, Washington, DC |
| Date: | Saturday, March 4, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 5:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN, NBCS-DC |
Raptors vs Wizards key injuries
