The Toronto Raptors will be looking to tally consecutive wins for the first time in over three weeks when they close out a six-game road trip in Indiana on Friday night as four-point road underdogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto is coming off a 126-113 win Wednesday over the Memphis Grizzlies, and has now claimed victory in two of three outings going into Friday night's matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Raptors have dominated in each of their two recent wins. In addition to easily covering as 3.5-point underdogs in Memphis, the team also ran up the score in a lopsided 108-89 victory last Friday in Sacramento, and they have now seen four of their past five wins come by at least nine points. However, Toronto was outclassed in a 119-104 loss to Golden State on Sunday, and has seen three of its past five defeats come by double-digit margins.
Toronto has benefited from better health of late after being forced to make do without key players, including Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa. However, the status of leading scorer OG Anunoby remains uncertain for Friday as he continues to nurse a hip injury that has forced him to miss the past four games. The 24-year-old had been enjoying a breakthrough campaign, averaging 20.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, including a 25-point, five-steal performance in a 118-100 win over Indiana at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 27.
While the Raptors attempt to rediscover the steady form that earned the team SU wins in five of its first six road games this season, the Pacers will be looking to rebound from Wednesday's disappointing 124-116 loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers as 6.5-point home chalk at sports betting sites.
In addition to slamming the brakes on a two-game overall SU win streak, Wednesday's defeat also snapped the Pacers' steady 4-0 SU run at home. Indiana emerged as a steady bet during its recent home surge, claiming victory by 12.2 points per game while going 4-0 ATS during that stretch. Wednesday's loss also extended a worrisome stretch of inconsistent defensive play by the Pacers, who have limited opponents to fewer than 100 points in four of their past six but also surrendered 121 or more points on two occasions during that stretch.
The Pacers have also allowed big point totals in recent dates with Toronto, giving up 115 points per game while going 2-7 SU and 3-6 ATS over the past nine meetings between these two teams, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
