Raptors vs Wizards Picks and Predictions: Can Raps Avenge Opening Night Blowout?

It may sound a bit like hyperbole, but the Toronto Raptors are getting better with each passing game. They have won four in a row and are 3-0 SU/ATS on the road so far this season.

Now, the Raps are out for revenge when they visit the Washington Wizards, who embarrassed them 98-83 in their season opener. Can the Raps avenge that defeat without rookie standout Scottie Barnes and cover the NBA spread as 3-point underdogs?

Find out in our free picks and predictions for Raptors vs. Wizards on November 3.

Raptors vs Wizards odds

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

The Raptors opened this matchup as 3-point road dogs but the Wizards have seen the early money, pushing the line to 3.5. The total hit the board at 212. 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 Wizards predictions

• Prediction: Wizards -3.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Over 212 (-110)
• Best bet: Precious Achiuwa Under 8.5 points (-125)

Predictions made on 11/03/2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Raptors vs Wizards game info

• Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
• Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TSN, NBCS-DC

Raptors vs Wizards betting preview

Injuries

Raptors: Scottie Barnes SF (Out), Pascal Siakam PF (Out), Yuta Watanabe SF (Out).
Wizards: Rui Hachimura PF (Out), Davis Bertans PF (Out), Thomas Bryant C (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Over is 4-1 in the Raptors’ last five games overall and 3-0 when the Wizards play at home this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Wizards.

Raptors vs Wizards 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

The Raptors were unbelievably cold in that season-opening loss to the Wizards, shooting just 30.9 percent from the field overall and 7-for-34 from three-point range. And despite trailing that game by as many as 27-points they held Bradley Beal to just 23 points and the Wizards went 5-27 from beyond the arc.

The problem for the Raptors in that contest was that they got dominated in the paint. The Wizards outscored Toronto 56-40 when it came to points in the paint with Montrezl Harrell leading the way, scoring 22 points off the bench.

But a lot has changed for the Raptors between then and now. Not many people were expecting much from Toronto heading into Monday night’s matchup at Madison Square Garden against what were at the time the Eastern Conference-leading New York Knicks.

The Raptors were 7-point road underdogs and were without Scottie Barnes for the matchup, but thanks to some tenacious defense, great ball movement, and a great coaching job by Nick Nurse, the Raptors were able to pull off the upset. Now, will they be able to keep up that same effort level against the Wizards?

Washington saw its three-game winning streak snapped in a 118-111 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, but overall the Wiz have gotten off to a great start going 5-2 to start the season, which includes going 3-0 ATS at home.

The Wizards are obviously still led by Beal and are sixth in scoring at 112.4 points per game but the supporting cast around him is the big improvement with this Wizards team. The likes of Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, along with Beal have bought into new head coach Wes Unseld’s philosophy and rank a respectable 11th in defensive rating.

While OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. have looked very good recently, this Wizards squad which mixes unselfish play and defense is the type of team which can give the Raptors problems. While I expect this game to be much closer than last time, I’d still side with the Wizards as short home favorites.

Prediction: Wizards -3.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

The last two times these teams faced off I took the Over and I got burned. Big time. As there were just 181 points scored in a game where the total was 223.5. But I must be a glutton for punishment because we’re looking at the Over once again.

The Raptors can be a hard team to figure out when it comes to totals because of their style of play. They either cause turnovers and play the transition game or they walk the ball up the court and try to move the ball around a lot.

That said, the Raptors shot the ball atrociously in that opening matchup and it looked like Nurse was still trying to figure out his rotations with this young team. But they have settled in more over the past several games and have scored 108 or more points four times over their last five games. 

While the Wizards still play at a fairly fast pace and rank fourth in the NBA when it comes to possessions per game, and as we noted rank sixth in scoring. And since Washington still allows opponents to score 109.9 points per game, this number is low enough to consider the Over.

Prediction: Over 212 (-110)

Best bet

It may sound silly but one of the reasons for the Raptors' quick early-season turnaround has been the play of Khem Birch. The center struggled early on but he was just recovering from COVID prior to the season and just didn’t look right.

Over his first four games, the Raptors were a -10 in plus-minus with Birch on the court, but are a +46 with him on the court over the last four games. His rebounds, assists, and steals are also all up over the last four games. 

That play has led to a decrease in minutes to starter Precious Achiuwa. It hasn’t helped that Achiuwa has been a bit of a funk lately but he has logged under 22 minutes in each of the last three games and played just over 16 minutes in each of the last two games, scoring a total of just six points in those games.

I think eventually we will see Birch take the starting spot away from Achiuwa but even coming off the bench expect Birch to continue to get more of a run in this one, particularly considering how the Raps struggled in the paint against the Wizards the last time they played and bet the Under on Achiuwa’s points total.

Pick: Precious Achiuwa Under 8.5 points (-125)

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