Simulation Picks
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Expert Picks
Look for the Raptors to make the needed defensive adjustments after John Wall and Bradley Beal combined to shoot 22 of 42 and the Wizards finished at 55.3 percent from the field as a team. Go Under.
Instances of chaos this season among Wizards players were well-documented. The Wiz missed Wall for key games that derailed their true seeding. Game 3's performance seemed to give Washington the jolt it needed. While they may not have the same dominating output, look for a cash-out plus the points.
The nearly four-point shift in this spread suggests oddsmakers believe Game 3 essentially was a fluke. In other words, Toronto basically took the day off after going up 2-0, while a desperate Washington team gave a somewhat predictable urgent performance. But I believe this is about as evenly matched as you get get for a series between the No. 1 and No. 8 seeds, and wouldn't be surprised to see it go the max seven games. Look for the Wizards to even the series with another strong performance Sunday.
The Wizards were focused and disciplined in Game 3's 122-103 victory, but expect the Raptors to have made the necessary adjustments to take a 3-1 series lead back to Toronto. Washington is just 3-6 against the spread in its last nine, and Toronto has too much firepower to lose again. Back the Raptors.