Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

The top-seeded Toronto Raptors (59-23) will try to follow up their best-ever regular season with a successful playoff run starting Saturday, when they host the eighth-seeded Washington Wizards (43-39) as home favorites for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
The Raptors won the East by four games over the Boston Celtics, while the Wizards finished four games ahead of the Detroit Pistons for the conference's final postseason spot.
                   
NBA point spread: The Raptors opened as 8.5-point favorites; the total is at 210.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.

NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 110.2-93.6, Raptors. NBA picks on every game.
Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.
                     
Why the Wizards Can Cover the Spread
Despite struggling down the stretch, recoring nine losses in 12 games, Washington did enjoy some success versus Toronto during the regular season, splitting the teams' four meetings both straight up and against the spread, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
The Wizards won 107-96 at Air Canada Centre on November 5 as 6.5-point road underdogs and also picked up a 122-119 victory as four-point home underdogs on February 1. In the latter win, Bradley Beal stepped up with a game-high 27 points to lead five starters who scored in double figures and eight on the team overall.

                   
Why the Raptors Can Cover the Spread
The Raptors have been playing much better lately, winning four of five heading into the postseason (3-1-1 ATS), and there is a reason they earned the top seed in the East. They are a much better team than their opponent, especially since Washington is still working John Wall back into the lineup after missing 27 games with a knee injury.
Wall has played back-to-back games once since returning to action on March 31, and he may have a difficult time defensively opposite Toronto's Kyle Lowry in the point guard matchup. Lowry has a clear advantage, which could be the difference.

                    
Smart Betting Pick
Even though Toronto has lost 11 of 12 series openers SU all-time in the playoffs, it has also never been the top team in the conference.
The Raptors proved doubters wrong this season when most wanted to talk about how the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers were the East's best outfits. Expect Toronto to play with a chip on its shoulder and make an early statement with a big win and cover in Game 1.
                    
NBA Betting Trends
Washington is 6-13-1 ATS in its past 20 games.
Toronto is 3-10-1 ATS in its past 14 games.
The total has gone under in four of Toronto's past six games.
                         
All NBA odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.
Read More https://detroitsports.club/pistons/washington-wizards-vs-toronto-raptors-game-1-odds-analysis-nba-betting-pick/