Occasionally, a storyline will supersede all conventional analysis, and that’s when an experienced handicapper must know when that is a worthwhile betting angle.
We have a compelling NBA matchup on Friday when the Raptors host the Pelicans in Toronto as 8.5-point favorites.
They last faced each other two weeks ago in New Orleans when the Pelicans won 122-111.
Pelicans vs. Raptors predictions, best bets
The most vivid highlight was Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray delivering a late 3-pointer and then standing over Toronto’s Jamal Shead, who had lost his balance while trying to play tight defense.
The Raptors later watched the video together and were disappointed with one another about not reacting properly to one of their teammates being taunted.
“After watching the film, I thought that we did not handle that situation the way we want, that we were supposed to,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said, as reported by the Toronto Star. “Our players, they had conversations with each other. They know that was not the true picture and image of our team.”
In their next game, the Raptors defeated the playoff-bound Suns with a solid effort. I feel that reflects well on their chemistry and suggests they will have a similar effort when seeking revenge against the Pelicans.
Betting on the NBA?
New Orleans is just 25-48 this season, but they have played much better since Murray returned from offseason Achilles surgery. Entering Thursday’s game in Detroit against the Pistons, the Pelicans were 12-8 in their previous 20 games.
New Orleans does not own its first-round pick and is not tanking. In fact, they have a young nucleus and an interim head coach in James Borrego, so they have resembled a team that is playing hard, quality basketball.
However, this might be a tough situation. The Pelicans are playing road games on consecutive nights, and the Raptors should approach this game with maximum effort and determination.
I have a 107-88-1 record in this Post sports section, and my next play is the Raptors.
The Pick: Raptors -8.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
