NBA Playoffs
Eastern Conference – Round 1
Tip-off: Saturday, 12:35 p.m. ET
Line: Toronto -6.5, Total: 195

The Raptors are hoping to find some playoff success this year and that all begins with Game 1 against the Pacers on Saturday.

The Pacers finished off the regular season strong, winning-and-covering in three straight games and also winning six of their final seven contests SU. Indiana is not going to be an easy out for anybody and the team certainly won’t feel like an underdog when it takes the court on Saturday. The Pacers shot 45% or higher from the field in three of their final four games and they’ll need to continue to shoot the ball well in order to maintain their confidence and steal Game 1. The Raptors, meanwhile, have been waiting to get back to the postseason since their disappointing exit in last year’s playoffs. Toronto was the higher seed in its matchup with Washington, but the team ultimately got swept. This is a new year, though. The Raptors now face a Pacers team that they are 8-3 SU and 10-1 ATS against over the past three seasons. They are also 5-0 both SU and ATS when hosting the Pacers in that span. One thing that favors Indiana coming into this game is the fact that the team is 6-0 ATS after a game where it attempted 10 or less free throws over the past three seasons. The Raptors, meanwhile, are 6-1 ATS after a game outrebounding their opponent by 15 or more this season. SG C.J. Miles (Shoulder) is the only player who is in jeopardy of missing this game, as he is listed as questionable for Indiana.

The Pacers are a very balanced team and they pride themselves on getting it done on both ends of the floor. Indiana averaged 102.2 PPG (17th in NBA) this season and the team also allowed just 100.5 PPG (8th in NBA). The Pacers will need to be even better than that against this high-powered Raptors group. If Indiana is going to steal Game 1 or ultimately win this series then SF Paul George (23.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.9 SPG) is going to need to go off for his team. He did, however, struggle against Toronto on the season. In four meetings with the team, George averaged just 16.3 PPG on 30.8% shooting from the floor and 26.9% shooting from the outside. If he cannot be more efficient then it’ll be impossible for the Pacers to advance. SG Monta Ellis (13.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 1.9 SPG) could, however, help George do some of the heavy lifting. Ellis didn’t score at his usual clip this season, but he is a guy that can score 20 points or more on any given night. Indiana will need him to be aggressive in games where George just simply doesn’t have it. Two guys that could be x-factors in this series are PG George Hill (12.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 SPG) and C Myles Turner (10.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG). Hill has a tough matchup with Kyle Lowry in this series, but he is a good defender and also happens to be a 40.8% shooter from the outside. If he can hold his own in his matchup with Lowry then the Pacers will make this a series. Turner, meanwhile, will need to bring some rim protection in this series. If he can avoid foul trouble then he’ll make a mark for the Pacers.

The Raptors were extremely close to finishing first in the Eastern Conference, but they’re now going to set their sights on being the last team standing in the East. Toronto has a solid matchup in the first round and one guy that will be super excited to face the Pacers is PG Kyle Lowry (21.2 PPG, 6.4 APG, 4.7 RPG, 2.1 SPG). Lowry torched Indiana during the regular season, averaging 23.7 PPG in three meetings with the team. He is a lot faster than George Hill, so he should be able to get to the basket frequently in this series. He’ll need to make a strong impression by coming up big in Game 1 on Saturday. SG DeMar DeRozan (23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.0 APG) also had no trouble scoring against the Pacers this season, but he did not shoot the ball well against them. In three meetings with the team, DeRozan averaged 24.3 PPG on 37.7% shooting from the field. He’ll need to take better shots throughout the course of this series. One guy the Raptors will need to get going is C Jonas Valanciunas (12.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.3 BPG). He was excellent against the Pacers this season, averaging 15.5 PPG and 9.5 RPG on 72.2% shooting in his two meetings with the team. Indiana does not have a match for his size, so the Raptors will need to take advantage of that on Saturday and in the rest of this series. SF DeMarre Carroll (11.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG) is going to be big for the Raptors throughout the playoffs. Carroll is just coming back from a serious knee injury, but he brings the toughness this Toronto team needs to make a run in the postseason. It’s important that he plays well on Saturday.