Sixers Now Favored to Advance to ECF After Dominating Raptors in Game 3
- The Philadelphia 76ers lead the Toronto Raptors 2-1 in their second-round series
- Joel Embiid led the 76ers to a 116-95 win in Game 2 to take control of the series
- Kyle Lowry is averaging only 11.6 points in the playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers took home court advantage against the Toronto Raptors with their Game 2 victory and they put it to good use in Game 3.
Joel Embiid had 33 points and 10 rebounds in a commanding 116-95 win. After taking a 2-1 series lead, the 76ers are now listed as favorites to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers Playoff Series Odds
| Team | Playoff Series Odds |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers | -125 |
| Toronto Raptors | +105 |
*Odds taken 05/03/19
These odds have changed drastically since before Game 3 and for good reason. It wasn’t that they won they game it was how they won the game.
The windmill
The celebrationJoel Embiid had a night ?
(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/BBWY4SXDZ4
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) May 3, 2019
With home court advantage still working in their favor and a 2-1 series lead it’s surprising to see the 76ers still paying out -125. There’s clear value in betting on Philadelphia.
Lowry Disappointing Yet Again
Kawhi Leonard has been great, and is averaging 31.5 points per game, which is second in the playoffs to only Kevin Durant. But one player can’t win you a second-round series in the NBA. Pascal Siakam has been good as well, averaging 22.9 points per game, but it’s Kyle Lowry that is the concern.
Kawhi Leonard is averaging 31.5 points per game, but one player can’t win you a second-round series in the NBA.
The Raptors need production from their starting point guard but he’s doing what he does every year in the playoffs: disappear. This year he’s averaging only 11.6 points in the postseason which ranks 59th among all players.
Kyle Lowry keeps it real after Game 3. pic.twitter.com/gvbTLMYgdB
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 3, 2019
If Lowry can’t step up and give the Raptors a third elite scoring option in the series, even with an otherworldly performance from Leonard, they’ll likely suffer the same fate they have for years.
76ers Depth Causing Raptors Problems
The 76ers have depth scoring of a different kind. Usually the term refers to bench players contributing, but in Philadelphia it’s more a case of having several stars as options to go to.
In Game 3 it was Embiid taking over, but Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and JJ Reddick all have the ability to score in bunches. All five are scoring at a higher clip than Lowry, giving the series a feeling of watching one team with too much versus another with not enough.
Jimmy Butler kept yelling at Joel Embiid to shoot the ball ?
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/0znsWQSgIz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 3, 2019
The 76ers were 31-10 on their home floor this year and have a decided advantage up a game and with two of the remaining four games, if needed, in their barn. Don’t overthink this, you get the team up in the series playing a more dominating brand of basketball and they are barely the favorites at -125. Take the value and don’t look back.
Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-125)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
