Playing on back-to-back nights can be a death sentence for many NBA teams. Energy is often low, there’s no pep in the step and shots fall short coming from tired arms.
This season, however, one NBA team has managed to buck the trend — when most teams would be gassed, they’re rising to the top. The 2021-22 Toronto Raptors have been the best against the spread bet in basketball on the second half of back-to-backs. With zero days’ rest, the Raps are 10-1 against the spread this season, according to Odds Shark’s database.
Why is Toronto so good on short rest? Will the trend continue? Let’s check it out.
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The NBA’s Best Teams On Back-To-Backs
| Team | ATS Record (Win Rate) |
|---|---|
| Toronto Raptors | 10-1 (90.9%) |
| Charlotte Hornets | 8-3 (72.7%) |
| Sacramento Kings | 8-3-1 (72.7%) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 (66.7%) |
| New York Knicks | 5-3 (62.5%) |
| Washington Wizards | 5-3 (62.5%) |
Data courtesy of Odds Shark’s database
Despite having among the most back-to-backs this year, the Raptors have risen to the challenge and have been easily the best betting team in these circumstances. While LaMelo Ball’s Hornets have also succeeded with little rest, the Raptors lead the NBA against the spread.
The Raptors aren't just squeezing out backdoor covers, either. In the 10 back-to-backs they've covered in this year, they're covering by an average of 9.8 points, per Odds Shark's data analysis.
Next Chance To Bet A Raptors Back-To-Back
The next opportunity to bet the Raptors on the second half of a back-to-back comes on Saturday, February 26, when they visit the Atlanta Hawks a night after playing in Charlotte. The Raptors exit the NBA all-star break with three pairs of back-to-backs, providing a lot of opportunity to ride this trend. You can find the latest NBA lines at one of our top NBA sportsbooks, or lock in a bet over at [Sportsbook not available for your region]:
If you’re looking for more NBA betting resources, check out our team reports, power rankings, scores, standings, Basketball Betting Trends, game logs and line movement breakdown.
Why The Raptors Flourish On Back-To-Backs
With an 8-3 record straight up with zero days of rest, the Raptors’ success on the second half of back-to-backs is undeniable. What makes them such a good bet is that the ATS success bears out in the numbers and is explainable, to some degree.
Siakam Shows Up
While all-star guard Fred VanVleet has been crucial to the Raptors’ rebound this season, there’s no denying that Pascal Siakam has also been a huge reason for the team’s success. Since the 27-year-old forward returned from injury, the Raptors have gone on a run and positioned themselves as a playoff team. With limited scorers, Siakam’s nose for the basket and rebounding have been necessary for the Raptors to win.
For some reason, Siakam is at his best on short rest. This season, he’s averaging nearly five more points per game than normal on the second half of back-to-backs, shooting 54.2 percent from beyond the arc and rocking a +10.1 plus/minus.
If you're looking to double-down on this trend, consider a player prop bet on Siakam's points OVER at [Sportsbook not available for your region]!
Young Legs Stay Fresh
As a team, the Raptors are simply playing better on no rest than on one or two days’ rest this season. On the second half of back-to-backs, they’re turning the ball over less, scoring more (113 points per game, compared to their average 108.7) and producing more assists than on any other amount of rest.
Despite running one of the shortest rotations in basketball, the Raptors’ legs are staying fresh. One possible reason for this is that Toronto’s roster is one of the youngest in the league. These new-look Raptors don’t need to load-manage Kawhi Leonard, or monitor the minutes of elder big men like Serge Ibaka or Marc Gasol. The 2021-22 Raptors have just one player over the age of 30 and none of their starting five are older than 27.
Raptors’ History Of Success On Short Rest
One interesting note about the Raptors’ success on the second half of back-to-backs is that this is not a new trend. The Raps are the league’s best against the spread team on no rest this season, but they have also been the NBA’s best team with no rest since 2015.
In the last seven seasons, the Raptors have an ATS record of 70-47 on the second half of back-to-backs (59.8% win rate). From the Kyle Lowry-DeMar DeRozan days to the 2019 championship team, and now with a new main cast, the Raptors have managed to regularly defy the odds on back-to-back games.
Best Teams On Back-To-Backs Since 2015
| Team | ATS Record (Win Rate) |
|---|---|
| Toronto Raptors | 70-47 (59.8%) |
| Detroit Pistons | 68-53-1 (56.2%) |
| Orlando Magic | 61-52-5 (53.9%) |
| Denver Nuggets | 60-52-2 (53.5%) |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 63-55-2 (53.4%) |
Data courtesy of Odds Shark’s database
Lock in your bet on the next Raptors game over at one of our top NBA betting sites:
How To Bet On NBA Spreads
The key to betting on NBA spreads is understanding how a spread works. Essentially, you’re betting that the favorite (denoted by a minus sign) will win by a set number of points, or that the underdog (denoted by a plus) will win outright or lose by less than a set number of points. At the sportsbook you’ll notice NBA spread odds are listed like this:
- LA Lakers -5
- LA Clippers +5
In this example, the Lakers are 5-point favorites. If you believe that the Lakers will win by more than five points, you can bet on them to win. If you think the Clippers will win, or lose by less than five points, you should bet on them!
Check out our Odds Calculator to see how much you’d win based on the odds and amount wagered, as well as the implied probability of all odds.
