The Philadelphia 76ers looked like they were on their way to a series sweep against the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. But an injury to MVP hopeful Joel Embiid has cast some doubt on their future title hopes. In our NBA picks for Monday night, we look at Raptors vs 76ers Game 5, as the Sixers look to close this series out and get some rest for their ailing superstar center.
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Raptors vs 76ers Game 5 Betting Pick
This game will be played at Wells Fargo Center at 8:00 PM ET on Monday, April 25, 2022.
Why Bet The Raptors:
✅ Joel Embiid did not look like himself while playing through the thumb injury he suffered earlier in this series. In Game 4, he was grabbing at his hand often, and he was tentative to close out on shooters defensively as a result. While the Sixers should still win this game, it is going to take some time for Embiid to adjust and this game should be a tight one.
✅ Toronto might be in a position to build some momentum to generate a comeback in this series. Between the ailing Embiid and the return of players like Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr., the Raptors have a real shot to make things interesting in this series, starting with a cover against the Sixers on Monday night while down 3-1.
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✅ Given the injury to Embiid and the general anxiety of Philadelphia sports fans, the crowd could turn on this 76ers team the moment that something goes wrong in Game 5. This is a fan base that has not been happy with Doc Rivers, James Harden, and nearly everyone but Embiid at different points this season. They could release some of that displeasure if the Sixers start to look vulnerable early.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors did what they had to do in Game 4 of this series by simply getting on the board against the Philadelphia 76ers. They were aggressive with a clearly injured Joel Embiid, getting physical with him on both ends of the floor. The question for the Raptors now is whether they can send the series back to Toronto by winning Game 5 with their backs against the wall on the road.
If Toronto is going to pick up a win in Game 5, they are going to need Fred VanVleet to step up in a way he has not for most of this postseason. VanVleet was one of the best three-point shooters in the league in the first half of the season, but has done a poor job for Toronto down the stretch. If he can get going in this contest, the Raptors could very well make this series interesting.
Philadelphia 76ers
For the Philadelphia 76ers, this series has become more complicated than they had hoped. Philadelphia lost Game 4 and their chance at a sweep, forcing them to play more games with an injured Joel Embiid. With Embiid dealing with a thumb injury, the Sixers would love nothing more than to win Game 5 and allow their MVP candidate some time to recover.
With several other key players struggling for the Sixers this postseason, the fact of the matter is that Embiid cannot afford to take it easy for this team despite his current injury situation. James Harden has lacked the consistent attacking prowess that once made him a great player in the league, forcing Embiid to go all out to try and close this series out as early as possible.