Toronto Raptors Travel to Phoenix to Face the Suns

The Toronto Raptors currently have the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented them from moving up any further recently.

Fred VanVleet is out along with OG Anunoby, making this a tough test for the Raptors. Taking on the Phoenix Suns is a difficult task; however, the Raptors might’ve got lucky. Devin Booker is still listed as “out.”

If Devin Booker is unable to play, this swings things in the direction of the Raptors. The Phoenix Suns have a sizable lead in the Western Conference but won’t want to lose their ground.

Recently, they took a devastating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, 132-122. As they face another Eastern Conference team, at least they’ll be back at home. So, who’s your best bet in this one?

Game Preview: Toronto Raptors at Phoenix Suns March 11th

The Toronto Raptors are among the top ten in defense in terms of points allowed. They rank eighth in the NBA, allowing only 107.32 points per game.

They’ll need a strong defense against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. Even if Devin Booker is out of the lineup, they still have other players to worry about. One of these players is the Phoenix Suns small forward Mikal Bridges.

Bridges is not only a great three-point shooter but a notable leader of the team. In Chris Paul’s absence, Bridges has emerged as someone who can run the Suns offense. It’s a lot to ask of him, but he’ll have help from Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder.

These three can lead the Suns’ No.5 offense to a victory over the Raptors. The real question is, what will the spread look like?

Toronto Raptors at Phoenix Suns Betting Prediction

The last time these two played was in early January of 2022; the Raptors were 4.5-point underdogs. Surprisingly enough, the Raptors covered the spread but lost the game, 95-99.

We think the spread could be similar in this game, even with Devin Booker being out. In their last ten against the Suns, the Raptors have won six games but covered the spread only three times.

Because of this, we’re going to take the Phoenix Suns to cover the spread here. They’ve done better against the spread when facing the Raptors, especially over the last three.

The Suns also get the added benefit of playing at home, where they’re 28-7 as of today. When you compare that to the Raptors’ 17-15 road record, the Suns become the better bet, so take Phoenix here. 

When betting on the total in this game, you should know each team has the same record against the total. As of the moment of writing this, each team is 33-31 against the total.

When facing each other, the total has gone under in two of their last three meetings. With injuries on both sides of the ball, we think the total will go under this time as well.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.