The Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Toronto Raptors on March 22 (Friday) at the Scotiabank Arena. Thunder’s shooting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was born and raised in Toronto, so it is going to be a homecoming game for him. OKC won the first meeting against the Raptors, so Toronto will look for revenge Friday. Five players scored double figures against the Raptors to win the double overtime game. Shai Gilgeous scored 23 points, nine rebounds, 14 assists, two steals and three blocks. Meanwhile, RJ Barrett scored 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Toronto. The Thunder will look to sweep the season series in the upcoming contest.
Preview
The OKC Thunder are currently on a three-game winning streak and hold the first spot in the Western Conference with a 48-20 record. They will try to hold their No. 1 spot in order to keep pace with the Nuggets and Timberwolves, who are just behind them.
On the other hand, the Toronto Raptors have lost nine of their last 10 games and are on an eight-game losing streak. The Raptors traded stars like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Dennis Schorder at the deadline, after which they are having a rebuilding season.
Starting lineup
The OKC Thunder have a healthy roster, so they will most likely start with Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Lu Dort.
The Toronto Raptors have six players listed as out for the upcoming game. Four of them are usual starters: Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors will most likely start with Gary Trent Jr., Bruce Brown Jr., Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick and Kelly Olynyk.
Betting tips
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has an over/under of 30.5 points for the upcoming game. The game is expected to be an early blowout, so bet on him to score under 30.5 points.
Gary Trent Jr. is favored to score less than 19.5 points. He has scored at least 23 points in three of his last five games. You can bet on him to score at least 20 points.
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Prediction
The Thunder are big favorites to win the upcoming contest against the Raptors. They are one of the best teams in the league, while the Raptors are on the rebuilding stage after the tradeline. Oddsmakers have predicted that the Thunder will get the win while the Raptors will cover the spread. The total is expected to go over 230.5 points.
