Things are not looking good for the Toronto Raptors in spite of their 98-96 Game-Five victory over the New Jersey Nets in Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on Tuesday. Down 3-2 in their best of seven NBA Playoffs series with the New Jersey Nets, the Raptors must find a way to win at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ tonight in order to force a game-seven in Toronto on Sunday. And they might have to do it without help from guards T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon, who sustained injuries in game-five. If Toronto loses tonight, it will be the Nets making travel plans to play the Cavaliers in Cleveland next week.
The Raptors have been anemic in their two Play-Off appearances in New Jersey, victims of double-digit losses in both games. The Raptors have lost all four of their games played at Continental Airlines Arena by double-digit margins during the regular season and playoffs combined. Oddsmakers smell blood having installed the Nets a -7.0 side favorite while the price of a money line bet will be costly at -365. The ml juice on Toronto is +305. The total is holding at 188.
The Nets are 7-2 SU and 8-0-1 ATS in their last nine games . The total has gone UNDER in 19 of New Jersey’s last 25 games when playing the Raptors. Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last seven games and 0-4-1 ATS in its last five games.
The Raptors led by as many as 17 points in the second half, but the Nets got within one in the final minute when Calderon rolled his ankle and lost the ball to Jason Kidd. Vince Carter then hit a 3-pointer to make it 95-94 with 27.6 seconds remaining.
Two free throws by Toronto's Chris Bosh and a put-back from Mikki Moore of the Nets made it 97-96. Bosh was fouled again but made just one of two, giving the Nets a chance to tie or go for the win. Carter drove to the basket but Juan Dixon's defense forced him to give up the ball and Bostjan Nachbar's 3-pointer bounced off the rim as time expired.
I don’t expect the Nets to have much problem at home against the Raptors tonight. The -7.0 line favoring the Nets shows good value; especially since Toronto has failed to keep their margin of losses under double-digits in New Jersey all season.
