Two surging basement dwellers meet on Saturday night as the Washington Wizards visit the Toronto Raptors.
The pregame narrative: Both teams enter this game feeling good about their recent results. Washington is catching a decent amount of points, however, I’m making it my ATS pick for this contest. Additionally, I’m interested in the game total under but will dabble on Khris Middleton’s points prop over.
Check out my Wizards vs. Raptors SGP predictions for March 8.
Wizards vs. Raptors predictions
Parlay: Wizards +4.5 | Under 229.5 points | Middleton over 13.5 points (+475)
Wizards +4.5 (-143): No team in the NBA sports a worse record than Washington (12-49).
But this wager doesn’t require the Wizards to win. They only need to keep it competitive on Saturday night.
The Raptors own the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference (21-42) and are well on their way to a top-five pick in the NBA Draft. Toronto has won three consecutive games ahead of this contest, however, but that’s not enough for me to back it against the spread.
For starters, the Raps are dealing with a noticeable rest disadvantage. Toronto played Friday night while Washington hasn’t played since Wednesday. That plays right into the hands of the Wizards:
- Washington is 6-3 ATS on two-to-three days’ rest
- Washington is 9-7 ATS with a rest advantage
Toronto hasn’t fared well in the favourite role this year, either, going an underwhelming 3-3 ATS despite rocking a 37-25-1 mark vs. the spread overall.
The Raptors have failed to cover this number in five of their last six games.
NBA SGP legs
Under 229.5 points (-182): Don’t expect there to be much offence between these two squads.
Neither offence is prolific in any sense of the word.
- Washington ranks 27th in points per game (108.3)
- Toronto ranks 23rd in points per game (110.5)
Washington’s point production is especially troubling considering its pace. The Wizards have the fourth-fastest pace (102.16) but have the league’s worst offensive rating (105.7).
It’s no surprise that Washington has fallen short of this total in five of its last seven contests.
The Raptors, meanwhile, have gone under this total in five of their last six games.
Middleton over 13.5 points (-110): Thirdly, I’m betting on a solid scoring night from one of Washington’s more consistent offensive threats.
Middleton enters this game with a steady stream of production. He’s recorded 14-plus points in each of his last three contests.
Looking at an even larger sample size, he’s usurped this mark in five of his last eight outings.
This is actually a pretty solid matchup for the small forward, too, as the Raptors cede the ninth-most points per game to the position (22.01), according to Fantasy Pros.
Wizards vs. Raptors predictions made at 10:07 a.m. ET on 03/08/2025.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.