Guess how many months it’s been since the Toronto Raptors have been two games above .500?
Thirty-six months.
Since November 28th, 2022, the Raptors have been mired in mediocrity.
It’s been a lot of suffering for the fanbase.
But as true day one fans know, championship teams aren’t built overnight.
Fast forward to today and we have a Toronto team that has won six of their last seven games.
The vibes are as positive as they can be coming off a statement win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team with the highest projected win total in the East.
On the final stop of their five-game road trip, Toronto gets a floundering Indiana Pacers team that’s begun the season 1-11.
The Raptors have shown some killer instinct of late, and this Same Game Parlay below incorporates three legs that align with a potential blowout victory.
All three selections together currently pays +288 on FanDuel.
**Scottie Barnes 7+ rebounds**
Barnes can be a roller coaster ride week-to-week, but when the waves are high, All-NBA upside is easy to see.
During this seven-game stretch, his two-way play has been on full display with a balanced stat line.
He’s averaged 18.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.
No other player in the league shares a stat line with the same floor as him.
When Scottie’s engaged, the Raptors stay winning.
In seven wins this year, he’s averaged 8.9 rebounds.
In their five losses, that number drops to 5.8.
Up against Indiana - the only NBA team to collectively shoot below 40 per cent from the field - Barnes will have plenty of opportunity to rack up the boards and initiate the break.
While the Pacers are league-average at rebounding, their 11th-ranked pace suggests more possessions will be available than usual.
Barnes has been in great form recently and owns a solid track-record versus his former teammate, Pascal Siakam.
In four games against the Pacers over the past two seasons, he’s averaged 10.5 rebounds per game.
**Sandro Mamukelashvili 9+ points**
This is the first time we’ve thrown Mamu on our Same Game Parlay, and quite frankly, he deserved his flowers sooner.
Over this winning stretch, no player owns a higher net rating than Sandro (9.2).
He’s been instrumental to Toronto’s success leading the bench unit alongside Jamal Shead.
While Jakob Poeltl is more of a traditional centre, Sandro gives the Raptors a stretch-five element to their offence with the ability to get up and down the court.
He gets 26.9 per cent of his points on the fast break and leads the team with the highest percentage of points off turnovers at 22.3 per cent.
That’s a perfect match for a Pacers team that allows a whopping 164.8 points per 100 possessions, dead last in the league.
This leg also bakes in my inherent belief that the Raptors can blow out Indiana tonight.
In the event that the starters get more rest, Sandro should get a minutes bump.
As an added bonus, he’s covered this line in five of the past six games.
**Jamal Shead 4+ assists**
If you’ve been watching the Raptors, it’s easy to note how much of an impact Shead has had on winning.
Shead owns a +3.4 net rating, which far exceeds any of the five regular Raptors starters.
He’s finding himself on the court more often as head coach Darko Rajakovic is trusting him and Immanuel Quickley to co-exist on the court.
As pointed out by my Basketball Island pod mate, Fabio Lucarini, their pairing might be needed more than usual with T.J. McConnell back in the lineup for Indiana.
There’s room for increased minutes due to the matchup but also blowout potential as well.
At the end of the day, track record matters when selecting SGP legs, and fewer bets have been more consistent than Shead dimes.
He’s collected four-or-more assists in 11-of-12 games this year.
Indiana has been a bottom-five defence and their depth is razor thin.
This parlay is counting on the Raptors being able to capitalize.