After a wild NBA trade deadline and with the playoffs rapidly approaching, US Sportsbook Review odds are the hot topic for many NBA fans. There are several key match ups in the NBA this Saturday. Here is a preview of the Washington Wizards versus Toronto Raptors game.
Washington Wizards @ Toronto Raptors
Saturday, February 20, 7:00PM (ET)
Eastern Conference rivals meet as the red hot Raptors hit the hard court against the basement dwelling Washington Wizards. After remaining dormant on trade deadline day, the Toronto Raptors are hoping to continue their recent streak and close the gap between division leading Boston. Washington, who is well outside the playoff picture looking in, is in desperate need of a win against the Raptors.
What Toronto needs to do to win
Sportsbook Odds: NO LINE YET
Play Strong Defence: Throughout the 2009-2010 season, the Toronto Raptors have not struggled to score. What this team has struggled with, is defending against their opposition. Although the Raptors are averaging more than 104 points per game, they are allowing on average more than 105 points per game. One of their weakest defenders this game has been Jose Calderon. Calderon, along with Raptors big man Chris Bosh, must step up their defensive coverage in order for this team to succeed.
Get scoring from the bench: With three solid scoring threats from Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, and Hedo Turkoglu, the Raptors have a wealth of primary scoring. To continue their recent winning ways, the Toronto Raptors need secondary scoring from their bench. The Raptors need scoring from bench players including Jose Calderon, Sonny Weems, and Amir Johnson. If the Raptors can receive scoring from their bench, they will likely be too powerful for the Washington Wizards.
What Washington needs to do to win
Online Sportsbook Odds: NO LINE YET
Find a new team cohesion: Following a wild NBA trade deadline, the Washington Wizards are a brand new team. The trade deadline saw the Wizards ship out a half dozen players and welcome in many new faces. If the Wizards want to succeed against the Toronto Raptors, they will need to find some instant team cohesion. Playing with unfamiliar faces will cause confusion in both the offensive and defensive zone. Coach Flip Saunders must find a way to pull his team together if they want to have any chance of finishing the season strong.
Shut down the Raptors top scorers: For the first time in years, the Toronto Raptors are a legitimate offensive threat. With so many new faces on the Washington roster, defensive coverage might be an issue. Shutting down star Chris Bosh must be the top priority for new faces Josh Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. These two big men will have their hands full with Bosh, Bargnani, and Turkoglu. Bosh is averaging close to 25 points per game while Turkoglu is averaging almost 18 points per game.
With a completely new roster, it is hard to say what the new Washington Wizards will look like. The roster changes are definitely a step in the right direction and could make the difference against the surging Toronto Raptors.
