The Toronto Raptors will be looking to extend their season-high straight-up win streak to five games when they close out a two-game series with the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night as early 1.5-point home underdogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto overcame a 13-point second-half deficit on its way to a 110-103 victory over Philadelphia in Sunday’s series opener. With the win the team has now won outright in four of its past five games while set as an underdog going into Tuesday’s contest at Amalie Arena.
The Raptors have been getting the job done despite missing Kyle Lowry. The point guard has been sidelined for the past three games by a thumb injury, and remains listed as questionable to return for Tuesday’s outing. Lowry has played a huge role in the team’s resurgence following a shaky start, averaging almost 22 points per game in four games prior to his injury.
There has been no shortage of Raptors shooters stepping up in Lowry’s absence, as Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet have all averaged 20 or more points over the past three games. The Raptors have also played responsible defence during their current surge, limiting opponents to just 98.3 points per game during their win streak. That has paid dividends in totals betting as the UNDER has gone 4-1 in Toronto’s past five games at betting sites, ending a 9-1 run for the OVER.
The Raptors’ steady play has lifted them to just four games back of the first-place Sixers, who will be aiming to snap a four-game SU skid on the road on Tuesday night. Overall, Philadelphia has maintained its spot atop the Eastern Conference despite claiming victory in just two of its past six contests. The Sixers have also emerged as a betting disappointment, covering just once in their past six outings, and going 5-9-2 ATS on the road this season.
But while the Sixers have managed to go 5-3 ATS in their past eight dates with Toronto, according to the OddsShark NBA Database, they may face a massive task to overcome an epic road losing streak against the Raptors. Philadelphia has come up short in 16 straight regular season road dates with the Raptors, with a lack of consistent offence emerging as a real problem during that stretch. The Sixers scored 98 or fewer points on 10 occasions during that slide, with five losses by double-digit margins in their past seven road matchups.
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