TOR @ PHI

Game 3: 7 PM CT (ESPN)

Series Tied 1-1

Spread: TOR -1.5

Total: 217

Odds c/o 5dimes

The Philadelphia 76ers rebounded after a Game 1 loss to win Game 2 by a score of 94-89. Now with the series tied, it shifts back to Philadelphia where the Toronto Raptors are 1.5-point favorites in Game 3 odds at 5dimes. The over/under is set at 217 points, and through two games, the total has been well under that mark both times, with 203 points total in Game 1 and just 183 points between the teams in Game 2.

Philadelphia won a defensive struggle in Game 2, but it still faces something of a must-win in Game 3, the proverbial “swing game” in these 1-1 series. The Sixers are hoping to do a better job on Kawhi Leonard who scored a game-high 35 points while the Sixers frontcourt of Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid had its own mixed successes. Butler scored 30 points but shot 9 of 22 and he had the best plus/minus of all Sixers’ starters at +7. Embiid shot just six times despite playing 44 minutes, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, and five assists, as well as two steals and a block.

Tobias Harris struggled to hit his shots at just 3 of 11, but he did add 11 rebounds and four assists while having a +6 differential for his 36 minutes. Philadelphia shot just 39.5 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from the three, while also turning the ball over 19 times. There is plenty of room for improvement, as the Sixers forced just 10 turnovers. The Raptors were 36 and 27 percent from the floor and three, respectively, while Philadelphia dominated the battle of the boards 52-36.

And so, the checklist for Philly reads something like this:

– Get Harris more involved and run a few pick and roll sets to get him going.

– Find more than six shots for Embiid, though a lot of this hinges on Marc Gasol’s tough defense

– Win the Battle of the boards convincingly again

– Cut down on Turnovers, Raptors were +9 on differential

– Find a way to slow Kawhi Leonard

The Raptors frontcourt is responsible for most of its damage, but Pascal Siakam was limited to 9 of 25 shooting (36 percent) for his 21 points. Siakam had his way against Orlando, and though he is not much of a ball handler, he is lethal driving to the right. Even opponents’ knowledge of this has scarcely been enough to stop it, but Siakam is a preventable disaster if teams can cut him off while he penetrates.

The NBA’s likely Most Improved Player, Siakam hit 2 of 7 from behind the arc, but that is a shot that opponents will live with. Both he and Leonard are far more dangerous while attacking the rim.  Leonard shot 13 of 24 and 10 of 14 from two-point range while also coming up with six assists and a +4 mark for his 42 minutes of play in the loss.

The Raptors were outscored by nine points in the six minutes in which Leonard rested. He is that crucial to its attack, so finding a way to keep the ball out of his hands while making him work on the defensive end has to be the Sixers’ main priority in Game 3.

ATS TRENDS (C/o Covers):