Harrison Barnes will guide the Spurs in Toronto (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs begin a three-game road trip today against the Toronto Raptors. This will be the first time this season that these two teams play each other. The Spurs enter with a record of 30-39, while the Raptors are 24-46.
San Antonio has played relatively well recently. They’ve won their last two games and three of their previous four contests. In their latest victory, the Spurs outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers by a final score of 128-120.
While they’ve played pretty well at home recently, San Antonio had only one road win in the month of March. Way back on March 1st, the Spurs defeated the Grizzlies in Memphis, 130-128.
After a stretch that saw the Raptors win six out of seven games, Toronto has cooled off and lost their last three contests. However, all three of those losses were on the road to Western Conference teams making a push for the playoffs.
On the season, the two most productive players for the Raptors have been RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. Barrett is averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, while Barnes is averaging 19.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
There aren’t any changes on the injury front for San Antonio. In addition to Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox missing the rest of the season, Charles Bassey remains sidelined due to a knee injury. Bassey has only played two games since February 3rd due to knee issues.
Toronto Raptors Injury Update
The Raptors will be missing a lot of talented players today versus the Spurs. Former Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl is out due to rest purposes. Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and Immanuel Quickley are also sidelined. Rookie Ja’Kobe Walter is questionable due to a hip injury, while fellow rookie Ulrich Chomche is out with a knee injury.
Stephon Castle’s Playmaking Rise
In San Antonio’s game against the Sixers, Stephon Castle was given more playmaking duties than ever. The rookie responded with a career-high 14 assists. Previously, the most assists he had in a game was only eight.
Castle’s spectacular month of March has all but sealed the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year award. This month, the 20-year-old is averaging 20.4 points per game along with 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in only 29.7 minutes. He’s shooting 48.4% from the field, 31.7% from three-point range and 70.1% at the free throw line in March.
Betting Guide: Spurs at Raptors
The Raptors are favored by 1.5 points and the over/under is 234.5 points. The smart money is on the over. Recently, the Spurs have been the NBA’s worst defensive team and the NBA’s best offensive team. Add those two facts together and the Spurs and Raptors should be able to put a lot of points on the board.