NBA Game of the day: Spurs at Raptors
San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors (+1, 201)
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will try for career win No. 1,000 when the Spurs visit the Toronto Raptors in a key game Sunday night. The matchup is also monumental because the Spurs are opening a nine-game, three-week road trip that will cover just over 8,000 miles. They came into Saturday in seventh place in the jam-packed Western Conference, but just three games behind the third-place Houston Rockets.
The Raptors can’t seem to make up any ground on the East-leading Atlanta Hawks and sit eight games behind as of Saturday. They have managed to distance themselves from the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls, but now the fifth-place Cleveland Cavaliers are charging hard after winning 12 of their last 13 games. The Raptors are coming off an impressive 123-107 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, which came on the heels of two bad losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), TSN1 (Toronto)
LINE HISTORY: The spread opened as TOR +1 with a total of 201.
INJURY REPORT: Spurs - N/A Raptors - N/A
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "San Antonio just completed a 6-game homestand in which they went 5-1 SU, but just 1-4-1 ATS. The Spurs are a hard team to handicap since their personnel is always in flux based on head coach Gregg Popvich’s tendency of resting players. The Spurs are just 12-11 on the road this season, and with Toronto 19-9 at home, the Raptors hold a nice home court edge in this game. Toronto snapped their 2-game home losing streak with a solid 123-107 win over the leg weary Clippers on Friday night. But San Antonio will be a stiffer challenge, especially if the Spurs elect to play with their full compliment of players." - Steve Merril
ABOUT THE SPURS (32-18 SU, 22-26-2 ATS, 23-27 O/U): San Antonio has won five of six and nine of its last 11 and, better yet, seems to be at its healthiest stage so far this season. They improved to 20-6 with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili in the lineup with a win Friday against the Miami Heat, compared to 12-12 when one or more of their stars are missing. The Spurs also recently got Marco Belinelli back from an 11-game absence due to injury and he has further strengthened their bench.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (34-17 SU, 25-25-1 ATS, 29-22 O/U): DeMar DeRozan did something against the Clippers he had never done in his career and that’s lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same game. He had 24 points, nine rebounds and eight helpers in the win and is averaging 17.6 points and 6.3 assists in the last six games. LeBron James and James Harden are the only other non-guards averaging better numbers over the same span.
TRENDS:
*Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
*Raptors are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Southwest.
*Under is 5-1 in Spurs last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
*Over is 5-1 in Raptors last 6 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
CONSENSUS: 56.82 percent are on SA -1.
San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors (+1, 201)
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will try for career win No. 1,000 when the Spurs visit the Toronto Raptors in a key game Sunday night. The matchup is also monumental because the Spurs are opening a nine-game, three-week road trip that will cover just over 8,000 miles. They came into Saturday in seventh place in the jam-packed Western Conference, but just three games behind the third-place Houston Rockets.
The Raptors can’t seem to make up any ground on the East-leading Atlanta Hawks and sit eight games behind as of Saturday. They have managed to distance themselves from the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls, but now the fifth-place Cleveland Cavaliers are charging hard after winning 12 of their last 13 games. The Raptors are coming off an impressive 123-107 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, which came on the heels of two bad losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), TSN1 (Toronto)
LINE HISTORY: The spread opened as TOR +1 with a total of 201.
INJURY REPORT: Spurs - N/A Raptors - N/A
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "San Antonio just completed a 6-game homestand in which they went 5-1 SU, but just 1-4-1 ATS. The Spurs are a hard team to handicap since their personnel is always in flux based on head coach Gregg Popvich’s tendency of resting players. The Spurs are just 12-11 on the road this season, and with Toronto 19-9 at home, the Raptors hold a nice home court edge in this game. Toronto snapped their 2-game home losing streak with a solid 123-107 win over the leg weary Clippers on Friday night. But San Antonio will be a stiffer challenge, especially if the Spurs elect to play with their full compliment of players." - Steve Merril
ABOUT THE SPURS (32-18 SU, 22-26-2 ATS, 23-27 O/U): San Antonio has won five of six and nine of its last 11 and, better yet, seems to be at its healthiest stage so far this season. They improved to 20-6 with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili in the lineup with a win Friday against the Miami Heat, compared to 12-12 when one or more of their stars are missing. The Spurs also recently got Marco Belinelli back from an 11-game absence due to injury and he has further strengthened their bench.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (34-17 SU, 25-25-1 ATS, 29-22 O/U): DeMar DeRozan did something against the Clippers he had never done in his career and that’s lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same game. He had 24 points, nine rebounds and eight helpers in the win and is averaging 17.6 points and 6.3 assists in the last six games. LeBron James and James Harden are the only other non-guards averaging better numbers over the same span.
TRENDS:
*Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
*Raptors are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Southwest.
*Under is 5-1 in Spurs last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
*Over is 5-1 in Raptors last 6 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
CONSENSUS: 56.82 percent are on SA -1.