The Toronto Raptors (51-24) travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs (63-12) in a matchup that pits the fifth-ranked offense against the first-ranked defense. The game starts at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 2 and will air on FSW and SNT.
The Spurs beat the Pelicans 100-92 on Wednesday. Kawhi Leonard had 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists for San Antonio. The Raptors, meanwhile, are coming off a 99-95 win over the Grizzlies on Friday. DeMar DeRozan shot 8-for-17 and led in scoring with 27 points.
LaMarcus Aldridge has really been playing well as of late for the Spurs, averaging 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks over the last five games.
This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as the Spurs rank third in the NBA in offensive efficiency (109.5), while the Raptors are fifth (108.1). Also, the Raptors’s fifth-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 108.1) will face off against the first-ranked defense of the Spurs (defensive efficiency of 96.5).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Raptors won the first game 97-94. DeRozan scored a game-high 28 points.
The Spurs enter the game with records of 63-12 Straight Up (SU) and 43-32 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 63-12 SU and 43-32 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Spurs have the top-ranked offense in terms of FG%, shooting .488 from the floor. No team in the league has a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than San Antonio, which tops the league at 1.96. The San Antonio defense has been dominant, only giving up 92.6 points per game, which is the best in the league. The Spurs have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing an NBA-low 484 three-pointers made or 6.0 per game. An area where the Spurs are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 6.0 blocks per game, fourth in the NBA.
On the other side, the Raptors head into the game with records of 39-35-1 ATS and 51-24 SU. Toronto has records of 51-24 SU and 39-35-1 ATS against the West.
With the Raptors’ last win against San Antonio, Toronto is still behind in the head-to-head record over the past 10 meetings, 2-8 SU. The Spurs also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
“San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“San Antonio is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 14 of San Antonio’s last 19 games “.
“San Antonio is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games at home”.
“San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“San Antonio is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto”.
“San Antonio is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Toronto”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio’s last 5 games when playing Toronto”.
“San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto”.
“San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio’s last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto”.
San Antonio averages 104.2 points per game (ranked eighth). However, Toronto has allowed an average of just 98.5 points per game (ranked fifth).
Toronto averages 101.1 points per away game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed at home, giving up just 90.9 points per game.
When the Raptors allow fewer than 100 points to their opponent, they are 40-4. When the Spurs score fewer than 100 points, they also have a winning record (16-10).
The Toronto Raptors have an underachieving 11-20 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The San Antonio Spurs are 47-2 when they hit the century mark.
The Spurs have the best defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 96.5. The Raptors’s offense ranks a solid fifth, with an offensive rating of 108.1.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with a FG% of 48.8%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Toronto Raptors have a poor 4-10 record.
On average, San Antonio attempts 18.0 three pointers and Toronto attempts 23.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Spurs have a 1-2 record while the Raptors have a solid 20-11 record.
San Antonio ranks at the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.96 this season. Toronto ranks 21st with an A/TO of 1.52.
The San Antonio Spurs rebound 44.1 times per game and are ranked 14th. Ranked 18th, the Toronto Raptors rebound 43.4 times per game.
The Toronto Raptors rank 18th in offensive rebounding, while the San Antonio Spurs rank fifth in defensive rebounding.
Though San Antonio is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.0% (ranked ninth), Toronto has an outstanding 16-5 record SU when its TOV% is 15.0% or greater.
