MIL @ TOR

Game 6

Toronto leads 3-2

Time: 7:30 PM CT (TNT)

Spread:  TOR -1

Total: 213.5

Odds c/o 5dimes

The Toronto Raptors lost its first two games in this series in Milwaukee. It went on to win both its home games and take a crucial swing game 5 win on the road. The Raptors now have the chance to close out the series in Toronto, and NBA Oddsmakers favor it to do so, setting the line 1-point in favor of the Raptors, with an over/under mark at a total of 213.5 points.

Toronto again got a monster game from Kawhi Leonard in Game 5. He finished with 35 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and two steals and a +3 mark for his team-high 40 minutes of play. Pascal Siakem had nine rebounds in the first half, and he finished with 13 boards to go with his two assists and 14 points. Kyle Lowry chipped in 17 points, six assists, and seven rebounds with a +0 mark for his 39 minutes of play. Game 4 hero Norman Powell came back to earth, finishing with just eight points and four rebounds, but Fred VanVleet was on fire. VanVleet hit 7 of 9 threes and finished with 21 points in 37 minutes of play, and a team-best +28 mark for his time on the court.

If Toronto sees that VanVleet appear again in Game 6, it easily could close this series out. The Raptors shot just 36.9 percent from the field, but it connected on 41 percent of its 43 threes attempted and got to the line to hit 25 of 31. The Raptors also were -8 on the board differential, but Toronto committed just six turnovers in the game while assisting 19 of its 31 made field goals.

Milwaukee got big games from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe, but Khris Middleton struggled with his shot in hitting just 2 of 9 from the field. Middleton made impacts in other ways with his 10 assists and 10 rebounds, but his shooting is needed. Milwaukee shot better from the field than Toronto at 45.2 percent, but it hit just 10 of 31 from three and 13 of 18 from the line. Milwaukee did assist 26 of its 38 buckets, which is a solid mark, but it is going to need an even bigger game from the Greek Freak in addition to getting big games again from Bledsoe (20 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists).

The Bucks simply were outscored by nine points in the fourth quarter, erasing the 3-point lead it had entering the game’s final 12-minutes. It will be tough to improve on a great performance and steal a win on the road, but Milwaukee’s season comes to its end if it fails to do just that. Expect the Bucks to come out focused, but Toronto’s home court cannot be underestimated. 50 percent of bettors are betting on Toronto to cover, with the other 50 percent on the Bucks. This game should be that tough to call. These teams have battled, but Milwaukee now has lost three straight and is clearly reeling some from it. The No. 1 seeded Bucks must get a strong performance through its full rotation to match the fire that VanVleet brought Toronto in its second unit.

ATS TRENDS