Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards NBA Friday Bet Preview

Two Eastern Conference teams will jostle for positions on Friday night. The Toronto Raptors, currently 10th in the conference can gain some ground with a win here. Unfortunately, they’re on a two-game losing streak, but the Wizards are a more favorable matchup. Washington is coming off of a loss of their own and the Raptors can capitalize on that on Friday.

The Washington Wizards are 23-22 and at the No.8 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics are following closely behind and the Wizards will look to keep them there. To do so, they’ll need to get a win over the Raptors on Friday night. The great news is per ESPN, the Wizards don’t have any players on the injury list. Let’s take a quick look at each of these teams.

Three Raptors players ruled out for Friday’s game

The Toronto Raptors are already starting behind the ball on Friday night. Three players have been ruled out, one of which is starting SG Gary Trent Jr. In their last game against the Mavericks, the Raptors allowed Luka Doncic to score 41-points. Considering they’re facing SG Bradley Beal, the Raptors are in trouble with Trent Jr. out. So, what’s the game plan for Friday?

Getting Fred VanVleet optimal scoring opportunities should be priority number one here. VanVleet leads the team in points per game and assists per game. He also garners a lot of attention, allowing other players to make more of an impact. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are two players we’d like to see more from. Especially with Trent Jr. and Goran Dragic out. 

Wizards will need to lean heavily on Beal

It’s no secret that Bradley Beal is the driving force behind the Wizards' success. He leads the team in points per game (23.7) and assists per game (6.4). However, since Gary Trent Jr. is out for the Raptors, the Wizards will look to Beal for more production. Bradley Beal knows exactly how to run the offense and will have a backup guarding him. Unless they put VanVleet on Beal.

If the Raptors do that, Beal can work to get better looks for Spencer Dinwiddie. The Wizards have the seventh-best field goal percentage (46.84%) this game hinges on good shot selection. On the defensive side of the ball, Washington needs to stop VanVleet. He’s the best shooter on the Raptors and also controls the flow of the offense. If they stop him, they’ll defeat the Raptors. 

Betting Odds & Trends in Raptors at Wizards

Something that is rather interesting is the Washington Wizards are only favored by 1.5-points. Even with the injuries to the Raptors rosters, the sportsbooks think this game is pretty even. Something to keep in mind is that in their last ten meetings, the Raptors are 8-2 against the Wizards. They’ve also gone 12-4-1 ATS in their last seventeen games.

The Wizards have been much worse against the spread lately, going 1-7 ATS in their last eight. However, you can’t discount the fact that the Wizards are the healthier team here. They also have a 13-9 record at home, compared to the Raptors 9-10 road record. This is also taking place in the Eastern Conference, so it could have an effect on the Cleveland Cavaliers.