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Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards NBA Preseason Preview, Predictions and Picks

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On Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, the Toronto Raptors (2-2) are playing the Washington Wizards (0-2) at Capital One Arena. Tonight is the fifth preseason matchup for the Raptors, whereas this will be the Wizards’ third exhibition game. BetOnline odds are shown down below.

Game Information

Start time: 7 p.m. ET

Location: Capital One Arena; Washington, D.C.

TV channels: NBA TV, NBC Sports Washington

Radio broadcast: WTEM

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards news

Heading into Tuesday night’s matchup, the Raptors are 2-1 versus the Wizards in the last three head-to-head meetings. On May 6, 2021, the last time these teams faced off, Washington won 131-129 in overtime on the road. For the Wizards, the top story for the organization right now pertains to Bradley Beal refusing the COVID-19 shots.

His decision does not currently affect his salary or impact his ability to play, but this could change in the future. While the San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York mayors have already passed vaccine mandates, Beal will be allowed to play in these cities. The Raptors-Wizards regular season tip off begins Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Injury Report

The Raptors’ injury report is extensive. Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Goran Dragic, Pascal Siakim and Chris Boucher are out tonight. However, VanVleet, Anunoby and Dragic are resting. They are not injured. While Siakim is still recovering from his left shoulder injury, Boucher is taking time off because of a dislocated finger.

Likewise, the Wizards will be missing Winston Cassius, Thomas Bryant and Rui Hachamura for Tuesday’s game. Bryant is recovering from an ACL tear and Cassius is out due to his left hamstring. Hachamura is out for personal reasons.

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards betting lines

Raptors vs Wizards Preseason Preview, Predictions and Picks

Over/Under: 225.5

Point spread: Wizards -4.5 (-113)

Best moneyline: Raptors +170, Wizards -95

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards preview

Furthermore, on Monday, in the Raptors’ 107-92 win over the Rockets, OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa each scored a team-high of 17 points. Malachi Flynn ended his performance with 15 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 17 minutes played.

Also, Toronto scored 31 points to open up the second half. In the team’s 15-point win, they shot 41-for-90 (45.6%) from the field and 15-for-42 (35.7%) from three-point range. Personal fouls are the one metric that affected them the most. They finished with a total of 29 fouls called against them.

Meanwhile, in the Wizards’ 117-99 home loss against the Knicks on Saturday, Montrezl Harrell led his team in points and rebounds, accumulating 18 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes played. Bradley Beal also finished his game with 14 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 25 minutes spent on the court.

Defensively, Washington did not show up. They allowed 35 points in the first quarter and 36 points to open the second half. Though, shooting-wise, they were not much better. The Wizards shot 34-for-89 (38.2%) from the floor and 5-for-31 (16.1%) from behind the arc. This is why the team remains winless.

For the Raptors’ projected starting lineup, they have PG Malachi Flynn, SG Gary Trent Jr., SF Scottie Barnes, PF Precious Achiuwa and C Khem Birch. As for the Wizards, their projected lineup consists of PG Spencer Dinwiddie, SG Bradley Beal, SF Corey Kispert, PF Kyle Kuzma and C Daniel Gafford.

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards prediction

Additionally, while the Raptors scored 107 points against the Rockets, the Wizards finished with 99 points versus the Knicks. This is a combined total of 206 points. The total for tonight’s preseason contest is set at 225.5. Did Washington just have an off game? They managed to score 119 points against the Rockets in their 125-119 loss last Tuesday. But, taking the under for tonight’s game is the more appealing option. The Wizards are inconsistent; they go from hot to cold from game to game.

For noteworthy betting trends, Toronto is 1-4 against the spread in their past five games. Plus, the team is 0-7 straight up in their last seven games as well. And, the total has gone over in eight of the team’s previous nine games played versus Washington. Also, the Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last six games played in October.

Equally important, the total has gone over in five of the Wizards’ last six games. They are also 1-4 SU in their past five games played. And, Washington is 1-10 SU in the team’s previous 11 games played versus Toronto. Not to mention, they are 4-1 ATS in October. Keep in mind, these betting trends do not include exhibition contests.

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards betting pick

Pick the Wizards to win; the total will go under 225.5. Washington is a 4.5-point favorite with BetOnline.





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Brandon Miller hit career-high seven 3s, tied Hornets’ rookie record

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Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller made a career-high seven 3-pointers, tying the franchise rookie record for most in a single game, during Wednesday night’s 118-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 6-foot-9 wing recorded 31 points, six rebounds, one assist, and a block in 35 minutes of action. He also finished 11-of-19 (57.9%) shooting from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8%) from 3-point range.

“I wasn’t aware, I was just happy that we got the win,” Miller replied when asked if he knew about tying the Hornets’ rookie record. “With being on a losing streak, I think a win like this can start something great and we’ll try to build off this.”

Miller drained a dagger 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to secure a seven-point lead and help Charlotte snap its five-game losing streak. It was his third 30-point game of his NBA career.

Brandon Miller became the third-fastest Charlotte Hornets rookie to reach 1,000 career points

“He was big,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of Charlotte’s No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. “He made big plays, and he got going in the second half. Another really good performance.”

Earlier this month, Miller scored his 1,000th career point in his 60th career game against the Phoenix Suns on March 15. He became the third-fastest Hornets rookie to reach the mark behind only Alonzo Mourning (53 games) and Larry Johnson (55 games).

Through 65 games (59 starts) of his rookie season, Miller is averaging 17 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.4 3-pointers, and 32 minutes per game while shooting 43.6% from the floor, 36.8% from deep, and 81.7% at the line.

Additionally, Miller is set to become the 11th rookie in NBA history to average at least 15 points and two 3-pointers per game in a season.

Miller would join Allen Iverson (23.5 PPG, 2 3P), Stephen Curry (17.5 PPG, 2.1 3P), Damian Lillard (19 PPG, 2.3 3P), Lauri Markkanen (15.2 PPG, 2.1 3P), Kyle Kuzma (16.1 PPG, 2.1 3P), Donovan Mitchell (20.5 PPG, 2.4 3P), Luka Doncic (21.2 PPG, 2.3 3P), Kendrick Nunn (15.3 PPG, 2.0 3P), Anthony Edwards (19.3 PPG, 2.4 3P), and Jalen Green (17.3 PPG, 2.3 3P).

The Hornets host the Golden State Warriors on Friday.





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Victor Wembanyama 2nd NBA rookie with 300+ combined stls, blks

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San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama is the first NBA rookie to record 300 or more combined blocks and steals in a season since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992-93.

Wembanyama, 20, has amassed 222 blocks and 79 steals through 64 games, totaling 301. O’Neal logged 286 blocks and 60 steals in 81 games, combining for 346 in his rookie season.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, Wembanyama is the odds-on favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren.

In San Antonio’s 118-111 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, Wembanyama posted 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five blocks in 30 minutes of action.

It was his 21st game with five or more blocks, the most by an NBA player before age 21. O’Neal ranks second on the all-time list with 19 games, followed by Anthony Davis (14), Josh Smith (13), and Kevin Garnett (10).

The 7-foot-4 big man also finished 7-of-15 (46.7%) shooting from the floor, 1-of-4 (25%) beyond the arc, and 4-of-7 (57.1%) at the foul line.

San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama leads NBA in blocks, recorded a career-high 10 blocks

Through 63 games (all starts), San Antonio’s No. 1 pick in last year’s draft is averaging 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, an NBA-leading 3.4 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 29 minutes per game.

Wemby also leads the league with 217 blocks. He ranks 10th in total rebounds (662), eighth in defensive rebounds (519), 20th in steals, third in defensive box plus/minus (3.0), second in defensive rating (106.7), and sixth in usage percentage (31.8%).

Moreover, in San Antonio’s 122-99 loss against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 12, Wemby notched 27 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a career-high 10 blocks in 28 minutes played.

He became the fifth NBA player since 1990 to register a triple-double with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a single game.

It was also the first triple-double with blocks since Clint Capela had 13 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks for the Atlanta Hawks against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 22, 2021.

NBA sportsbooks show Wembanyama with second-best odds to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is the front-runner with 10 games left of the regular season.





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Draymond Green’s first-quarter ejection among fastest in the past decade

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Draymond Green is at it again and has now received his fourth ejection of the campaign. It seems that no matter how much his team has asked him to control his emotions on the NBA floor, he finds a way to impact the game negatively with his low tolerance and aggressive nature. 

This time around, he was thrown out of the match with less than four minutes played on the clock into Golden State‘s clash against Orlando on Wednesday night. It was the forward’s first ejection since his 16-game suspension, which was a special punishment made by the NBA after he hit rival Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

With 8:24 still on the first quarter’s clock, the four-time champ started to argue with referee Ron Acosta after a foul was called on Andrew Wiggins. “It’s unfortunate. He deserved it,” his coach Steve Kerr said after beating the Magic 101-93. “And he’ll bounce back.”

Draymond was called for two technical fouls in a matter of seconds, and earned his ejection. “After a prolonged diatribe, Green directed egregious profane language towards a game official,” explained crew chief Mitchell Irvin, who then said this had nothing to do with the player’s history of misconduct.

Just as the veteran was seen walking to the locker room, his teammate Stephen Curry was visibly frustrated at the situation. Once the contest was over, he recognised how badly they need him on the floor. “We need him. He knows that. We all know that, so whatever it takes to keep him on the floor, for him to be available, that’s what’s got to happen, especially at this time of year,” he said. “I’ve talked to him plenty of times about it, even tonight, and I’ll continue to talk to him as a teammate and a friend.”

Nevertheless, the 36-year-old praised his team for the way they handled themselves on the court and conquered the game. “But it was a beautiful team effort to respond the way we did,” Curry expressed. “We went and took it, and that’s a good sign for us.”

Green didn’t attend the press after the match, but did share his excitement on social media by showing appreciation to his squad. “Great DUB!! Appreciate my dawgs holding it down! On to the next one! BOUNCE BACK!” he wrote on X.

Forward Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in Draymond’s absence and was recognised by his locker room

Despite Green’s on-court antics earning him an ejection, Andrew Wiggins stayed calm and inspired his team to victory. Just in the first half, the forward dropped 13 points. By the end of the contest, he earned a team-high 23 points, plus 6 rebounds and two blocks over 35 minutes of play.

“Just trying to stay aggressive, trying to do whatever I can to get over the hump and get this win,” he told the press after the win. “We’re desperate. We need every win we can get.”

“He won us the game tonight – plain and simple,” Curry added. “I’m just proud of the way he took that challenge on, that he was assertive and aggressive. Whether he makes or misses shots, I could (not) care less. It’s just the ability for him to just be aggressive and take the shots that he knows he can take, put the pressure on the room, he’s knocking down 3s. Like everything. He had the whole bag working tonight.”

Their coach acknowledged how Golden State came back from a difficult situation. “It was a gutsy effort in tough circumstances, back-to-back, losing Draymond early” coach Steve Kerr shared. “And the guys just competed for 48 (minutes). Obviously, we need every game we could get right now so that’s why everybody was pretty emotional.”





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