Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets Game 3 Predictions, Odds & Picks

• The Toronto Raptors currently lead the series 2-0.
• The Brooklyn Nets will not have Joe Harris available for this match (personal reasons).
• Fred Vanvleet is the series scoring leader, averaging 27.0 points per game.

Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets Odds

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Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets Predictions and Picks

The Brooklyn Nets just keep losing players and the Toronto Raptors can’t seem to be held down. Another one for Toronto in Game 3, as the Nets will be playing without another key contributor.

Picks:

Toronto Raptors def. Brooklyn Nets -530

Toronto -10.5 -110

Over 221 -108

How to Watch Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors

Head-to-Head: Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors

Toronto’s Front Court Must Make an Impact

The Toronto Raptors let the Nets lead them for three straight quarters in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. A big reason why they fell behind for the first three quarters was that their centers had little impact.

Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka combined for eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one block, and five turnovers. On the other side of the court, Jarrett Allen bested them alone with 14 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and five turnovers.

The Raptors need to be aggressive scoring in the paint. Brooklyn showed that they want to pressure the ball on switches, allowing mismatches for the Raptors in the paint. Toronto must take advantage.

Brooklyn Must Dig Even Deeper

If you thought that the Brooklyn Nets had bad luck with injury, they will be missing Joe Harris for an extended period due to him leaving the bubble for personal reasons. With Brooklyn’s main lineup cut down to seven, it’s a wonder who can step up for them.

The first considerations go to Lance Thomas, Justin Anderson, or Dzanan Musa. Thomas is a defensively sound veteran, Anderson is an athletic but streaky wing, while Musa was an excellent scorer in Europe who hasn’t panned out in the NBA.

Replacing the offensive threat of Harris will be impossible for the Nets, so they’ll more likely have to do it by committee. With the threat of going down 0-3 in the series, expect multiple 40 minute nights for the Nets starters.

Nets Key Player: (C) Jarrett Allen

JARRETT ALLEN PUT SERGE IBAKA ON A POSTER! 😱

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/vYzATk0pMQ pic.twitter.com/uwKdBhs04g

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 17, 2020

Jarrett Allen was dominant in Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors, despite his team losing the game. He’s not the primary scorer by any means, but his ability to do the dirty work for Brooklyn is what swung the game in their favor for so long.

Allen scored 14 points and had 15 boards to go along with five assists and three blocks. He single-handedly dominated the paint against the Raptors’ veteran frontcourt.

Where Allen was most effective was pressuring the ball in the screen and roll. Due to his length, the Raptors guards had difficulty feeding the post on mismatches, contributing to the Raptor bigs’ poor night. His defensive intensity can’t slip if they hope to win Game 3.

Raptors Key Player: (F) OG Anunoby

💥 OG ANUNOBY 💥

Watch every moment with NBA League Pass: https://t.co/RYrnqty7q7 pic.twitter.com/J0D7ACnKkE

— NBA UK (@NBAUK) August 20, 2020

The London native Anunoby is a rather calm presence on the court for the Raptors, but his production can be up and down.

Anunoby isn’t a prolific scorer by any means, but he can have an impact when he is aggressive. Shooting 37.5% from three in his first two playoff games, Anunoby has shown glimpses of a power game when playing in the post against Brooklyn’s smaller guards.

If there’s one place that Anunoby is consistent it is on the defensive end. Anunoby is strong, athletic, and rangy to go along with a surprising defensive maturity for his age. As one of LeVert’s primary defenders in this series, Anunoby has contributed to holding the Nets star to just 27.8% shooting from the field.