Two bottom-feeders meet when the Toronto Raptors host the Utah Jazz at Scotiabank Arena on Friday.
The pregame narrative: Toronto is playing good basketball right now and I don’t think the club will be able to out-tank the Jazz. I’m taking the Raptors to win and have player props on Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter in this +320 same-game parlay wager.
Check out my Jazz vs. Raptors SGP predictions for March 7.
Jazz vs. Raptors predictions
Parlay: Raptors moneyline | Barnes 8+ rebounds | Walter 14+ points (+320)
Raptors moneyline (-200): Despite coach Darko Rajakovic’s best efforts, the Raptors continue to win ball games.
Their injury report is extensive tonight but I’m not sure it’ll matter. RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Ochai Agbaji, Jonathan Mogbo and Gradey Dick are all ruled out for Toronto.
Utah is missing key pieces, too, as John Collins and Lauri Markkanen are sidelined.
In the Raptors’ last game against the Orlando Magic, Toronto closed the game with a unit of five bench players and the unthinkable happened.
More on Walter later, but it’s clear the players don’t care about any tank and the Raptors are at home on Friday where they hold a 13-19 record.
That’s much better than the Jazz’s 7-23 away record. They’ve lost 10 straight games on the road.
NBA SGP legs
Barnes 8+ rebounds (-143): With all the injuries to Toronto’s frontcourt, Barnes should step up on the glass.
The 6-foot-7 point forward averages 7.8 boards and is coming off a 13-rebound game.
Orlando Robinson should get the start at centre tonight and his hands will be full with Walker Kessler.
Utah’s big man averages 12.1 rebounds per game and will clean up against the inexperienced Robinson without some help.
Barnes has cashed this wager in four of the past six games that Poeltl has been sidelined.
Walter 14+ points (-106): Let’s get back to the rookie who looked more like Kobe than Ja’Kobe during his game-winning 3-pointer against the Magic.
With all the injuries, Walter should start again and he’s been more effective in that role this season.
- Starter: 24.7 minutes, 11.9 PPG
- Reserve: 18.6 minutes, 6.5 PPG
Since Feb. 4, the rookie has scored 13-plus points in all three starts, logging over 28 minutes in each contest.
He’s gaining the trust of the coaching staff and should be in for another hefty workload against Utah, which has the worst defensive rating (120.3) in the NBA.
Jazz vs. Raptors predictions made at 10 a.m. ET 03/07/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.