The Toronto Raptors can clinch their first NBA championship in franchise history with a win on Monday when they return home to take on the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals as two-point favourites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto improved to 7-1 straight up in its last eight outings with a 105-92 victory at Golden State as a five-point underdog in Game 4, and now takes a commanding 3-1 series lead into Monday night’s Warriors vs. Raptors betting matchup at Scotiabank Arena.
The Raptors overcame a shaky start in Game 4, opening with just 17 first-quarter points. After trailing by four points at the half, the Raptors exploded for 37 points in the third quarter to put the game out of reach and claim their eighth victory by a double-digit margin so far this spring.
Kawhi Leonard once again led the scoring in Game 4, draining a game-high 36 points to go along with 12 rebounds, and is now averaging 30.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game so far in the postseason. Leonard has also been a steady performer on home court this spring, averaging 31.7 points and 9.25 rebounds per game while leading the Raptors to a 9-3 SU home record.
However, Leonard’s prolific scoring has not translated into steady results in totals betting when the Raptors play at home. In addition to prevailing in just two of their past six outings overall, the OVER has failed to pay out with regularity in Raptors home dates, going 5-6-1 in 12 playoff contests, and 4-3-1 in the club’s past eight overall meetings with Golden State.
But the Raptors have held a steady upper hand over the Warriors since the start of this season, ending an eight-game SU losing streak with outright wins in five of six meetings while covering in eight of their past 12.
That trend has not hurt the Raptors on the series prices, where they have soared to lofty -550 favourites on the NBA championship odds as they look to end the Warriors’ two-year reign as champions, well ahead of their +1400 opening night odds.
Conversely, the Warriors are looking for answers entering Game 5. With Kevin Durant sidelined, the Warriors have been thoroughly dominated by Toronto while falling to defeat in consecutive playoff games played on home hardwood for the first time since 1991. Durant’s status for Game 5 remains up in the air.
While the Warriors have rebounded from a 3-1 series deficit before, knocking off Oklahoma City in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, they now lag as +375 underdogs on the NBA series prices at online betting sites.
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