The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs with Game 1 beginning on Saturday.
Raptors-Sixers Game 1 Odds
- Spread: Sixers -5 (-110)
- Total: -115 (-110)
- Moneyline: Raptors +165
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Watch: fuboTV
- Odds via PointsBet
Watch Sixers-Raptors on fuboTV
- Get your free trial to fuboTV where you can watch live sports, movies and so much more!
Energy & Pace Will Be Key
The Raptors play with extreme pace and high energy which Philadelphia will need to match to take out Toronto. The Raptors won the season series against the Sixers 3-1 with their scrappy play and tenacity. During the season series, the Sixers shot a higher field goal percentage but the Raptors won on the glass and on second-chance points to help them prevail over the Sixers.
Prop to Watch
- James Harden over 10.5 assists (-115)
In 12 of 21 regular-season games, James Harden has gone over 10.5 assists mark with the Philadelphia 76ers. Two of those contests came against the Raptors (both Sixers’ losses) with Harden registering eight assists in the first matchup and 15 in the final one.
Breaking Down Star Matchups
This series will all come down to star power and which stars will outshine the other. Joel Embiid and James Harden are headliners in Philadelphia with their long list of induvial success heading into this series. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are the main guys in Toronto making them one of the scrappiest teams in the NBA.
The Sixers will need all hands on deck this series especially on defense with their top wing defender Matisse Thybulle ineligible to play in Canada due to Covid restrictions. Toronto’s Rookie of the Year candidate Scottie Barns will have his hands full guarding Harden while getting his first taste of NBA post-season basketball. For either of these teams to win the series their stars will have to show up and show out.
All Eyes on the Coaching Matchup
Raptors coach Nick Nurse is arguably one of the best coaches in all of basketball, leading his team into the playoffs after an underwhelming start to the season. Nurse has had Philadelphia’s number since 2019 when they beat the Sixers in seven games to go on and win the NBA championship that year.
The Raptors have always defended Joel Embiid very well, taking away some of his dominance during the game with their length and throwing as many bodies at him as possible. Doc Rivers also has championship DNA that will need to be displayed in this series despite his multiple 3-1 leads blown in the past. Rivers will need to match Nurse’s adjustments on the fly to keep up with Toronto in these games or else the Sixers could be looking at an exit in this year’s playoffs.
Special Betting Offer
- Offer: Two risk-free bets up to $2,000 in total value.
- States: New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Iowa
- Promo code: BET48 (T&C Apply)
