The Toronto Raptors will be looking to extend their lead atop the Eastern Conference standings with an eighth straight win when they play host to the Milwaukee Bucks as betting favourites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com on Friday night.
Toronto returns from a lengthy nine-day break looking to maintain the momentum that has lifted it into top spot in the Eastern standings, with a two-game lead over the second-place Boston Celtics going into Friday’s Bucks vs. Raptors betting matchup at Air Canada Centre.
A potent offence has powered Toronto’s climb in the standings. The Raptors have averaged 116 points per game during a 9-1 straight-up run, and have cracked the 120-point mark on four occasions, including a 122-98 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 14 in which they covered as seven-point road favourites.
Home court has also been kind to the Raptors this season. Toronto takes a league-leading 24-4 SU record at Air Canada Centre into the final third of the NBA regular season, and is unbeaten in seven straight home dates. The Raptors also own a strong record in games immediately following the NBA All-Star break, going 4-1 SU over the past five seasons.
The Bucks travel to Toronto looking to build on a 9-3 SU run that has lifted them into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee is coming off a 134-123 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets as a 2-point favourite on Feb. 15. However, the Bucks have been solid performers on the road during their current surge, going 4-2 both SU and against the spread.
Milwaukee has also played stingy defence of late, holding opponents to 96 or fewer points in eight of 11 overall, and has rewarded bettors by going 4-2 ATS in its past six on the road according to the OddsShark NBA Database. However, the Bucks have struggled in recent dates with Toronto. The Raptors have claimed victory in five straight regular-season home dates with Milwaukee, but have covered just once in their past three meetings overall.
Following Friday’s matchup, the Raptors enjoy a weekend off before hosting Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
The Pistons have produced mixed results since acquiring Griffin in a blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, going 6-3 SU, but have covered just twice during that stretch, and remain outside the playoff picture, 1.5 games back of the eighth-place Miami Heat. Detroit has also lost three straight to the Raptors, but is 7-3-1 ATS in 11 meetings with Toronto.
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