Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards Odds, Injuries & Preview

Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors finished last season with a 48-34 record. The Raptors have a 31-32 record at the moment and they’re two losses away from reaching last season’s loss total.

The team has a little more than 15 games remaining on their schedule. Currently the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference and three wins behind the 6th seed, every upcoming game could be pivotal for the Raptors if they plan on avoiding the NBA Play-In tournament.

The last quarter of the season will determine whether or not the Raptors even qualify for the play-in tournament. The team’s three game lead on the 11th seeded Chicago Bulls and 12th seeded Indiana Pacers isn’t daunting because of the amount of games left in the season. If the franchise loses too many games down the stretch, they won’t make the playoffs or the play-in tournament.

Washington Wizards Vs Toronto Raptors Odds

The Raptors are currently a -1.5 favorite against the Wizards on Thursday, according to BetMGM Ontario. The Raptors vs Wizards will be played in Washington. The Wizards are two games behind the Raptors in the win column and one spot behind in the Eastern Conference standings. Head coach Nick Nurse might do everything he can to put the team in a position to win this game because of the playoff implications.

Nurse has given his starters a lot of minutes over the past couple of seasons. If his starters are available to play heavy minutes, there should be no reason to expect anything else from Nurse in a game against a conference opponent with a similar record.

Bradley Beal and the Wizards are playing for their playoff lives also. The sportsbooks are indicating that the Wizards have a shot. They are a +1.5 underdog.

Toronto Raptors Preview

The Raptors traded for Jakob Poetl early in February. The trade is a sign that the franchise would like to win as many games as possible now and in the near future rather than rebuild. The Raptors gave up a 2024 first-round pick and a pair of second-round picks to bring the center back to Toronto. Since trading for Poetl, the Raptors are 5-2. The team is 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Pascal Siakam is having one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Siakam is having a career year scoring and assisting the basketball, averaging 25.2 points per game and 6.0 assists. Regardless of the Raptors sub .500 record, Siakam has put up the best numbers of his career. However, many of the Raptors other starters have been in and out of the lineup and haven’t improved their numbers much from last year.

Washington Wizards Preview

Similar to Pascal Siakam, Kyle Kuzma is having the best statistical season of his career. Kuzma is also having a career year when it comes to scoring and assisting the basketball. Kuzma is averaging 21.3 points per game and 3.8 assists.

Bradley Beal is leading the team in scoring at 23.1 points per game. Kristaps Porzingis is the team’s second leading scorer with 22.8 points per game.

Point guard Monte Morris is out because of low back stiffness, according to the NBA’s injury report. Other than Morris, the Wizards are heading into this game with most of their players healthy.

Bradley Beal has only played in 39 games this season, but isn’t listed on the injury report. Thursday will be the first game between the Raptors and Wizards this season. The teams will play again on March 4.