The Toronto Raptors will get a chance to pay off on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com for the first time in four games when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night as 2-point underdogs on the betting lines.
Toronto’s recent woes continued on Sunday with a narrow 105-104 loss to the San Antonio Spurs as 5-point home favourites that marked the team’s sixth straight-up loss in 10 outings going into Wednesday night’s matchup at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
In addition to dumping the Raptors to 1-5 SU in their past six home dates, Sunday’s loss also extended the team’s woes at the sportsbooks, where they have gone 3-6 ATS in their past nine contests. Toronto has fared moderately better on the road of late, posting SU wins in each of its past two contests away from Scotiabank Arena to improve to 5-2 SU over its past seven road games.
Injuries have played a big role in the Raptors’ recent struggles. Fred VanVleet remains sidelined indefinitely with a hamstring injury, while Marc Gasol is expected to be back in action on Wednesday after missing almost a month. And while a fourth-quarter letdown led to Sunday’s loss to the Spurs, the team was heartened by the return of Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell, who combined for 35 points after each missing 11 games to injury.
However, the Raptors have continued to see their position on the NBA betting futures eroded during their current slide. Toronto sits as a lengthy +1000 wager on the Eastern Conference championship odds and has tumbled to a +3000 bet to successfully defend its NBA title.
The Raptors have also struggled in recent dates with the Thunder, going 1-5 SU in their past six overall, capped by a 98-97 loss in Toronto as 5-point favourites back on December 29. However, the team has produced better results in Oklahoma City, going 4-2 SU in their past six visits while covering the spread on five occasions during that stretch.
The Thunder open a three-game homestand on Wednesday night after claiming a decisive 117-104 win in Minnesota as 2-point chalk at online betting sites on Monday. Oklahoma City opened the season amid low expectations, sporting +450 odds of making the playoffs, but has emerged as one of the surprises of the season. The Thunder have posted SU wins in 12 of their last 15 contests to climb to seventh in the Western Conference standings, and sport a respectable 13-7 SU record on home hardwood this season.
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