The Toronto Raptors will be looking to post straight-up wins in consecutive outings for the first time in eight games when they return home on Tuesday night to take on the Portland Trail Blazers as small opening favourites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto is coming off a decisive 121-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets as a two-point road underdog on Saturday, but the team has failed to find consistency while falling to outright defeat in four of seven outings going into Tuesday night’s matchup at Scotiabank Arena.
A rash of injuries has contributed to the Raptors’ recent woes. In addition to Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell, who all remain sidelined indefinitely, Fred VanVleet is out for Tuesday’s contest after suffering a hamstring injury in Saturday’s win in Brooklyn. VanVleet led all scorers with 29 points and 11 assists against the Nets.
While the loss of VanVleet is a setback, the Raptors have enjoyed regular success against Portland. Toronto recorded a decisive 114-106 win in Portland as a 2.5-point underdog back on November 13 to improve to 8-1 SU in its past nine meetings with the Trail Blazers, including four straight victories on home hardwood. However, the Raptors have failed to regularly reward bettors in clashes with the Trail Blazers, going 5-4 against the spread over their past nine meetings, including a middling 2-2 ATS mark at home, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
The Trail Blazers continue a five-game road trip in Toronto searching for answers after dropping a 122-111 decision in Miami on Sunday as five-point underdogs at online betting sites that marked their sixth SU and ATS loss in seven outings.
Defence has emerged as a concern for the Trail Blazers during their current slide. The team has surrendered over 120 points in four of their past six contests and an average of 117.9 points per game during their 1-6 SU run. However, the Portland offense has shown signs of life during that stretch, averaging 112.8 points per game over their past six, powering a 4-2 run for the OVER at sportsbooks.
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