Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards: Prediction, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

When: Sunday, January 13th, 1:00 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): NBC Sports Washington, SNO | Sportsnet 590 The FAN, 1500 AM

Toronto Raptors (Away)

Head Coach: Nick Nurse {All-Time 31-12 | TOR}

The Toronto Raptors are on their way to perfect health, now having both of their stars Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard available for selection. With a record of 31-12, the Raptors are currently just 0.5 games back from the Milwaukee Bucks for first in the East.

The Raptors are rolling as of late, winning five of their last six matches. One of those five wins included a win over their main Eastern Conference competition the Milwaukee Bucks.

Against the Washington Wizards the Raptors will see one of their truest rivals. The Wizards are a shell of the team that they used to be, but still led by Bradley Beal the Wizards can put the ball in the net. If the Toronto Raptors are able to lock down Beal, they should be able to pull of an easy win.

Washington Wizards (Home)

Head Coach: Scott Brooks {All-Time 447-304 | OKC, WAS}

The Washington Wizards are not the team that they want to be. They are 17-25 on the season and will take on the Toronto Raptors in hopes that they might be able to climb their way back into the playoff race.

The Wizards have been alternating wins in their last ten matches. Showing capability against lesser teams, but not being entirely out of games against the best. Considering Beal is now leading the line, it will be an audition for him to truly be the number one option for the Wizards or someone else.

The Wizards are currently 0-2 on the season against the Toronto Raptors. Combined with injury, the Wizards just don’t have the quality to keep up with the Eastern Conference leaders. If they can zone in on both ends of the court though, anything is possible.

What’s At Stake?

The Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards have met a number of times over the tenure of their franchises in NBA history. In 87 regular season games, the Toronto Raptors lead the all-time series 50-37 over the Washington Wizards.

A win for the Toronto Raptors would continue their see-saw affair with the Milwaukee Bucks for first in the East, placing them in pole position once again.

The Washington Wizards are eleventh in the East. A win would put them ahead of the Orlando Magic and place them just a half game back from the Pistons for ninth.

Questions to answer

Can the Raptors protect the glass?

Can the Wizards lock-in defensively?

We are going to compare the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets in an attempt to see who has the advantage in this matchup.

The Raptors are 16th in ORB%, 23rd in DRB%

The Toronto Raptors are not a poor rebounding team. In fact, they are perfectly fine on the glass as the likes of Serge Ibaka and Greg Monroe command the boards for them. They even receive contributions from their backcourt in Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard.

Where they struggle is with other capable rebounding teams. The Raptors new offence and defence inherently pulls their bigs on to the perimeter, forcing their wings to rebound on the glass.

The Wizards themselves are a similar team on the glass, albeit with fewer capable wing rebounders. The team that controls the glass will likely come out the victor in this match.

The Wizards are 27th in opponent eFG%

The Washington Wizards struggle to defend the ball, plain and simple. Losing John Wall certainly hurt their perimeter defence at the point of attack, but not having Dwight Howard for the majority of the season has given them no one to challenge opponents at the rim.

In addition to their poor defensive efforts, they are last in rebounding percentage. Of available defensive rebounds available, they grab a paltry 72.4% of those rebounds.

While they have been playing small with Jeff Green at power forward, the Wizards hoped that the quickness in defensive rotation would benefit them. It hasn’t worked out for them, but in terms of matchups the Raptors aren’t an awful opposition.

Toronto Raptors Roster Notes

F C.J. Miles – Day To Day (Hip) – Miles was QUESTIONABLE for Friday’s game (Jan. 11) against the Nets.

C Jonas Valanciunas – Out (Thumb) – Head coach Nick Nurse said Valanciunas will miss at least another 4 weeks..

Washington Wizards Roster Notes

C Dwight Howard – Out (Back) – Howard is making progress and said he’s pain-free from his lumbar surgery, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. He’s not expected to return until February or March.

F Markieff Morris – Out (Neck stiffness) – The Wizards announced that Morris will miss at least the next six weeks of action as he recovers from a neck injury.

G John Wall – Out For Season (Sore Left Heel) – Wall will undergo season-ending heel surgery and will resume basketball activities in six-to-eight months.

Head-to-Head: Tomas Satoransky vs Danny Green

Danny Green

Shooting Guard | 6-6, 215lb (198cm, 97kg) | North Carolina | Exp. 10 Years

9.5 PPG | 1.2 APG | 4.2 RPG | 0.9 SPG | 0.8 BPG | 1.1 TOV | .437 FG% | .408 3P%

Tomas Satoransky

Shooting Guard | 6-7, 210lb (201cm, 95kg) | Czech Republic | Exp. 3 Years

6.9 PPG | 3.3 APG | 2.5 RPG | 0.9 SPG | 0.2 BPG | 1.0 TOV | .486 FG% | .397 3P%

This is matchup between two utility players that are absolutely integral to the success of their team. Danny Green and Tomas Satoransky face off to provide two very different skills sets for their squads.

A word to describe Danny Green is mature. An NBA Champion and ten year NBA veteran, Danny Green knows how to win and how to help his team succeed. He is one the NBA’s premier three-and-D threats and will be the primary player trying to stop Bradley Beal from getting his offence off.

Tomas Satoransky has taken on a larger role for the Washington Wizards since they shut down John Wall for the season. He is a low-volume shooter, but his size allows him to be a dangerous playmaker. At 6-7, he is able to see over the defence and skip the ball to his teammates for open looks.

Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards Predictions and Odds

The odds will be updated as they are made available.