The Toronto Raptors enter tonight's game as hefty underdogs, but Tom Oldfield believes they are in a position to keep this close, especially with RJ Barrett scoring at will on offense.

It’s too early to press the panic button, but the out-of-sorts Denver Nuggets will look to quieten the noise as they take on the Toronto Raptors tonight.

At 3-3, with a concussion for Jamal Murray just the latest setback, Denver has stumbled out of the gate — so my Raptors vs Nuggets predictions focus more on the improving visitors and their stand-in No.1 scorer.

Read on for my NBA picks and betting angles ahead of this November 4 clash.

My best bet

RJ Barrett Over 24.5 points (-105 at PointsBet)

My analysis

The Toronto Raptors are still waiting to see their core trio of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett in action together this year — and that wait goes on here, with Barnes sidelined and Quickley listed as doubtful.

That leaves Barrett with a big scoring burden, and he’s embraced that role so far, reaching the 30-point mark in three straight games.

He led the way in Toronto’s overtime victory against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, a night after dropping 33 points on the Los Angeles Lakers, and I’m grabbing these odds for another dominant performance.

It’s partly a volume play too. Barrett has piled up 21 or more field attempts in three of his four outings this season, and that trend should continue at Ball Arena, with the visitors short on consistent scorers.

While Jakob Poeltl, Davion Mitchell, and Ochai Agbaji are valuable connectors, it’s going to come down to Barrett and Gradey Dick to kickstart the Toronto offense.

Barrett’s 3-point shooting could make or break this pick, but he’s gone 10-for-20 from downtown in his last three contests. The Denver Nuggets perimeter defense has been sloppy through the first six games, and more minutes for Russell Westbrook (in Murray’s absence) won’t help matters.

For a Nuggets team that’s also sweating on the health of Aaron Gordon, the Barrett assignment could be a real problem tonight and I like the Canadian’s chances of cashing in the Over.

Other bets I like

RJ Barrett Over 24.5 points Raptors +10.5 Nikola Jokic Over 11.5 rebounds

The Raptors took the Nuggets to overtime last week and actually led for much of that contest, so it’s tough to trust Denver with a spread this big, especially when Murray isn’t out there as a reliable secondary bucket-getter.

Instead, I’m laying the points and counting on Toronto’s rookie-heavy second unit to provide a jolt in the altitude of Mile High City against a group of Nuggets reserves that’s off to a shaky start.

The Raptors have covered the spread in six of their seven games this year, and Darko Rajakovic has been willing to mix and match to paper over the absence of key players. I see the visitors playing hard once again and keeping this close.

I’m also wagering on Nikola Jokic to rack up rebounds here. He’s got a physicality edge over Poeltl, and Toronto is thin on frontcourt depth if foul trouble becomes a factor.

Denver is asking so much of Jokic this season, but he’s responded with eye-popping box scores, even by his own high standards. He pulled down 16 boards against the Utah Jazz at the weekend in just 30 minutes, and the three-time MVP is well-placed for a similar tally tonight.

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The Nuggets have hit the 1H Under in nine of their last 11 games at Ball Arena. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Nuggets.

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About the Author

Tom Oldfield’s sports writing journey over the past 20 years has taken him from the Premier League and Champions League to the NFL, NBA, WNBA and MLB, with a wide range of articles and betting previews. Tom has worked closely with London’s Sportsbeat sports news agency as well as (thrillingly!) covering the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship run, and he has appeared on BBC World Service and The Back Page podcast.

A graduate of the University of Nottingham in the UK, he is the author of biographies on Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal, Gary Neville and Cesc Fabregas, and he co-authors a long-running series of children’s soccer books with his brother, Matt.

As a regular bettor across the top sports leagues, particularly with FanDuel and bet365, he is well versed on all the major markets and the next big game is rarely far from his thoughts. The best betting advice he has received is to monitor multiple sportsbooks to grab the best possible value.

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