It felt like the Toronto Raptors were quickly becoming extinct with all of their injuries they had to deal with early on this season. But they got some much-needed R&R thanks to not playing since last Saturday.
Toronto will look to use that break to its advantage on Wednesday night when it welcomes the Brooklyn Nets to town — who will be playing their second game in as many nights. The Raps are 2-point favorites, but can they keep up with Kevin Durant and Brooklyn's firepower?
I break down all the numbers and bring you my best bet in my NBA betting picks and predictions for the Nets vs. Raptors on November 23.
Nets vs Raptors best odds
Nets vs Raptors picks and predictions
The Toronto Raptors have been hit harder than most when it comes to injuries this season, and they'll still be without several key members for this Atlantic Division matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa remain sidelined for the next little while, and now Scottie Barnes is questionable alongside other rotation pieces for the Raps. That just means other players have had to step up.
Unsurprisingly, Fred VanVleet is one of the Raps who have done just that. "Mr. Bet on Yourself" has dealt with his own injuries this season, but he is healthy heading into tonight, and a healthy Fred is a dangerous thing.
In the six games VanVleet has played without Siakam this season, he has attempted 19.7 field goals per game — including 11.2 from 3-point range — averaging 23.7 points. VanVleet is shooting nearly 40% from the field over that stretch and should have success against this Nets team.
Brooklyn is coming off a lackluster performance against the 76ers and now has to play its second game in as many nights. And while this Nets team is starting to get healthy, they are still struggling on defense — particularly when it comes to containing opposing guards.
The team ranks 22nd in defensive rating and 19th in points to opposing guards. They also rank next-to-last when it comes to 3-point shooting percentage allowed to opposing guards, letting them hit nearly 39% of their attempts from downtown.
"Steady Freddy" has scored 23 or more points four times in the six games without Siakam, and in their earlier meeting against Brooklyn he put up 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting. VanVleet looks like a great bet to go Over his point total of 19.5 in this matchup.
My best bet: Fred VanVleet Over 19.5 points (-110)
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Nets vs Raptors spread analysis
It’s weird to see the battered Raptors favored in a game against the Nets who will have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving playing, but that’s the case Wednesday night. And not only that, Toronto has seen the early action.
The home side opened this Atlantic Division matchup as a 2-point home favorite and has been bet to -2.5 as of Wednesday afternoon. This is probably due to a few reasons.
One, the Nets looked sloppy in last night’s game against the Sixers, never really coming close to winning a game where Philly was without Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey.
Brooklyn didn’t seem to gel even though it was a complete team for the first time in a while. And trying to figure things out against even an injured Raptors' defense may not be the best idea.
Toronto is one of the most aggressive defensive teams in the NBA. It is long and athletic, switches all over the place, and disrupts the passing lanes like no one else. The team leads the Association in steals — by a fairly wide margin — while Brooklyn ranks 17th in turnover rate.
The Nets are playing the second half of a back-to-back while the Raptors have been off since last Saturday and should be primed and ready for this matchup — even without a few of their key pieces.
Keep an eye on the status of sophomore standout Scottie Barnes who is questionable with an ailing knee. If he can go, I would lean toward the Raptors and their tenacious defense.
Nets vs Raptors Over/Under analysis
The total for this Nets-Raptors throwdown hit the board at 221.5 and the early money has come in on the Over — bumping the number up to 222.5 — and my gut says that’s a touch too high.
Toronto has done a decent job to mitigate the loss of Siakam. That said, he was playing so well, the team just hasn’t been the same. Particularly on offense.
The Raptors just don’t have a huge amount of great shot creation to begin with, which means when they are not getting out and running from turnovers, the half-court offense can stall at times. Which has been more pronounced without Siakam.
Toronto ranks 17th in offensive rating and 29th in effective field-goal percentage since Spicy P went down with his groin injury. And while Brooklyn is still figuring things out, the defense has been better of late.
Mix in the fact both rank in the bottom third of the NBA when it comes to pace of play, and the Under looks like a strong lean. The first meeting between these teams saw a combined total of 214 points scored
Nets vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Under is 6-2 in the Nets' last eight road games. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Raptors.
Nets vs Raptors game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Wednesday, November 23, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | YES, TSN |
Nets vs Raptors key injuries
