Milwaukee (32-25) at Toronto (41-16)
When: Friday, February 23rd 2018
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Time: 7:35 ET | TV: FS Wisconsin, TSN
Opening Odds: Toronto -7/213.5
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The red-hot Toronto Raptors hope the long All-Star layoff won’t slow their momentum, as they ended the first half with a seven-game winning streak and the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They will take on a Milwaukee Bucks team that is currently in the sixth spot in the East, but just 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central Division standings. Toronto’s top two players – DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry – went up against head coach Dwane Casey while playing for Team Curry in last Sunday’s All-Star Game – Casey was guiding the bench for Team James. DeRozan and Lowry were joined on Team Curry by Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is second in the NBA in scoring at 27.8 points and has his team nine games behind the Raptors with 25 games remaining in the regular season. The Bucks won five of seven entering the break, but only one of those games was against a team with a winning record – 134-123 home loss to the Denver Nuggets. Toronto took the last five in the series, including the final three games in the first round of the playoffs last spring.
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Milwaukee’s recent success has come with power forward Jabari Parker back in the lineup. The former No. 2 overall pick sat out a year following knee surgery and is still working his way back off the bench, averaging 9.3 points on 46.3% shooting in 17.7 minutes off the bench since returning on February 2nd. The Bucks will have to wait until next month for the return of reigning rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon, who averages 13.2 points but sat out the last seven games with a partially torn left quadriceps tendon. Power forward John Henson (hamstring) sat out the three games prior to the break and is questionable for Friday.
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Toronto won its last seven games by an average of 18.9 points, and they’re getting plenty of contributions from the bench in the streak. Pascal Siakam, CJ Miles, Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright and Jakob Poeltl are taking turns leading the reserves in scoring and often get several minutes in the fourth quarter due to the big leads. Power forward Serge Ibaka went 19-for-27 from the floor in the last three games and is shooting 49.6% from the floor. The Raptors won’t play again until Monday when they host Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons.
The Raptors are on a roll right now and even though they may be a little rusty coming out of the break, they’ll get things rolling in the second half and pull away from the Bucks for an easy victory.
Pick: Raptors -7.5
- Bucks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Bucks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Atlantic.
- Bucks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Bucks are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
- Bucks are 8-20-2 ATS in their last 30 Friday games.
- Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
- Bucks are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Bucks are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Raptors are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Raptors are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
- Raptors are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
- Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Central.
- Raptors are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Friday games.
- Raptors are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Raptors are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Raptors are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 7-0 in Bucks last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 4-0 in Bucks last 4 Friday games.
- Under is 5-0 in Bucks last 5 vs. NBA Atlantic.
- Under is 4-0 in Bucks last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 4-0 in Bucks last 4 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 6-0-1 in Bucks last 7 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
- Under is 7-0 in Bucks last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Bucks last 6 road games.
- Under is 13-3 in Bucks last 16 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Over is 4-1 in Bucks last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Under is 12-3 in Bucks last 15 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 10-3 in Bucks last 13 games following a ATS loss.
- Under is 16-5 in Bucks last 21 overall.
- Over is 9-3 in Bucks last 12 games following a double-digit loss at home.
- Under is 6-2 in Bucks last 8 games following a straight up loss.
- Over is 5-2 in Bucks last 7 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
- Under is 6-1 in Raptors last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Over is 6-1 in Raptors last 7 vs. NBA Central.
- Over is 4-1 in Raptors last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Under is 5-2 in Raptors last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Under is 5-2 in Raptors last 7 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 15-6 in Raptors last 21 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 7-3 in Raptors last 10 home games.
- Over is 12-5 in the last 17 meetings in Toronto.
- Bucks are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
- Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
