Toronto Raptors @ Brooklyn Nets Game Preview and Pick: Fade the Raptors

After just one game being played last night, the NBA is back tonight with an 11-game slate. One of those games features the Toronto Raptors heading to Brooklyn to take on the Nets. We’ll preview the game and then get into why fading Toronto is a good betting play.

Game Preview

The Brooklyn Nets enter tonight on a three-game win streak and a 6-4 record over their last 10 games. Brooklyn had a top-10 offensive rating in that stretch mainly due to Kevin Durant's high-level scoring. Durant had 39 points in the Nets' most recent win over the Wizards and is a big reason why the Nets as a team have a shooting percentage of 49.6% this season which is third in the league.

Despite only averaging 111.6 points per game, the Nets have been one of the best shooting teams in the NBA. Brooklyn has the eighth-best three-point percentage and is top five in shooting efficiency. Their biggest strength this season has been defense, holding opponents to 110.6 points per game, and in their most recent match-up against the Raptors, they held them to 98 points.

Toronto has been a tad inconsistent recently going 5-5 over the last 10 games and putting up a -2.8 NET rating which is 22nd in the NBA in that span. In their most recent game, the Raptors allowed 128 points in a loss to the Pelicans despite defense being their strength this season.

Offensively Pascal Siakim has led the way for the Raptors, averaging 24 ppg but as a whole Toronto has struggled shooting this season. The Raptors have a 33.1% three-point percentage and 50.6% effective field goal percentage which is 29th in the league.

Pick for the Game

The Nets are currently -1.5 point favorites at home tonight and I think they’re the right betting play in this one. Toronto is 0-2 against the Nets this season and has not been able to find any offensive success in those games. With the way Brooklyn is playing as of late, I don’t think that is going to change so this is a good number for the Nets.

Brooklyn has a NET rating of 10.5 in those two games while putting up an effective shooting percentage of 60.5%, so the Nets are just able to find success against this Toronto team. I don’t think the Raptors' offense can keep pace with the way Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are scoring right now.

Toronto might have a solid defense but with the way the Nets have been shooting, no one can stop them at the moment. The lack of shooting ability for the Raptors is a major problem and the Nets are not the team to find scoring in the paint against as they rank as the fourth-best team in the NBA in limiting opponent scoring in the paint. I like Brooklyn to win their fourth straight here and cover.