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Round 1: Nets vs. Raptors Series NBA Playoff Series Gambling Prediction & Lines

Brooklyn vs Toronto Online Betting Odds

The Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets will face off in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The series will be the first to get underway, opening the postseason on Saturday afternoon. The teams split their regular season series with a pair of wins apiece.[ad-4468020]

Odds
Series: Nets -165, Raptors +145
Conference: Nets +900, Raptors +2000
NBA Title: Nets +2500, Raptors +7000
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Both sides couldn’t have thought the playoffs were in the cards when they both got off to very rough starts.

Toronto’s season turned around when general manager Masai Ujiri dealt away Rudy Gay, likely in an effort to tank and improve his team’s chances in the draft, but instead, Ujiri’s trade with the Sacramento Kings brought in a bench for head coach Dwane Casey to work with.

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Veterans John Salmons, Patrick Patterson, and Greivis Vasquez have all played significant roles for the Raptors since coming over, and there is little doubt that these three veterans saved the team’s season. With Rudy Gay in the lineup, the Raptor offense would stop when the ball got to Gay, but it has since gotten more fluid, which has really helped improved everyone’s play.

DeMar DeRozan in particular got a big boost by moving into the role of go-to guy for the team, and he responded with his first trip to the All-Star Game. Point guard Kyle Lowry also stepped up his game in a big year with free agency just around the corner. Many believed Lowry also belonged in the All-Star Game in place of Joe Johnson, who he will oppose in this series.
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For the Nets, the team needed some time to work their new faces into the lineup, while rookie head coach also needed some time to get his feet wet. The team appeared to be out of it early on, but things turned around in a big way in the second half of the season, with the team competing for the No. 3 spot in the East, and putting themselves in a situation where they could give games away down the stretch.

Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams, and Shaun Livingston all dealt with injuries down the stretch, though they did get some time to rest and heal their wounds down the stretch.

NBA Playoff Betting Prediction

The Raptors aren’t getting much respect in this one, and while the Nets seem to have been tanking, it’s still hard to overlook the fact that they lost four of their last five. The veteran Nets also have a series of injuries which they are dealing with, which could play a major factor as this series plays out.

Toronto has a significant edge at the head coach spot, as Jason Kidd is still learning the ropes in his new gig, while Dwane Casey brings a championship pedigree, having helped the Mavericks to a title back in 2011.

The teams split games during the regular year, with both teams going 1-1 both straight up and against the number at home and one the road. They played over the total in three of those four games, and with the way Toronto has picked up its pace of late, the over could be a profitable endeavor in this series.

Additionally, Toronto took a lot of heat for not really having a dominant home court advantage, but the team turned things around in their own building to close out the year, 22-7 in their final 29 games at home.

Series prediction: Raptors in 7

By Gino Bottero

Gino is new to CappersPicks.com but NOT new to the online gambling industry.He's got an AMAZING knack for discovering hidden gems when it comes to betting on sports. Stick with him as he predicts when a team will have a letdown! Check Gino out for NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB betting articles all season long!