So Far This Season:

The Raptors are 10-6 in a very difficult conference. This game is one that they need to win - these softies make up for the losses to more difficult teams like the Cavs or Clippers.

Source
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee to become the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian-based team in the NBA. They originally played their home games at the SkyDome (since renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), before moving eastward along Bremner Boulevard to the Air Canada Centre in 1999.

Like most expansion teams, the Raptors struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Vince Carter through a draft day trade in 1998, the team set league-attendance records and made the NBA playoffs in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Carter was instrumental in leading the team to a then-franchise high 47 wins, and their first playoff series win in 2001, where they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals. During the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, they failed to make significant progress, and he was traded in 2004 to the New Jersey Nets.

After Carter left, Chris Bosh emerged as the team leader. In 2006–07, Bryan Colangelo's first full season as President and General Manager, a combination of Bosh, 2006 first overall NBA draft pick Andrea Bargnani and a revamp of the roster helped the Raptors qualify for their first playoff berth in five years, capturing the Atlantic Division title with 47 wins. In the 2007–08 season, they advanced to the playoffs again, but failed to make the playoffs in each of the next five seasons. In a bid to persuade Bosh to stay, Colangelo overhauled the team roster for the 2009–10 season, but Bosh signed with the Miami Heat in July 2010, ushering in yet another era of rebuilding for the Raptors.

After Masai Ujiri was brought in as the new General Manager in 2013, he traded Bargnani to the New York Knicks. With a backcourt led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors returned to the playoffs, won their second Atlantic Division title, and won a then-franchise record 48 games in the 2013–14 season. However, they failed for a fourth consecutive time to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs. In the 2014–15 season, they won a then-franchise record 49 games, but failed for a second consecutive year to advance past the first round of the playoffs, getting swept by the Washington Wizards, 4–0. In the 2015–16 season, they won a franchise record 56 games, finishing in second place in the conference for the first time in franchise history. In the playoffs, they won their first playoff series since 2001 by defeating both the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, advancing to the Conference Finals for the first time against the Cleveland Cavaliers, only for the Raptors to lose to the eventual NBA champions in six games.

Game Stats Pregame

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers are in last place in the Eastern Conference. They are not a team that is able to put up points. They will need to trade to improve - but I wouldn't expect major changes for years to come. The Raptors should win this.

So Far This Season:

The 76ers are 4-13 which is the worst in the conference. Their top points producer produces almost half of what Derozan is averaging on most nights. The only way the 76ers have a chance is if the Raptors get cocky and sit their best players.

The Philadelphia 76ers (also commonly known as the Sixers) are an American professional basketball team based in Philadelphia. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA, and one of only eight (out of 23) to survive the league's first decade.

The 76ers have had a rich history, with many of the greatest players in NBA history having played for the organization, including Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, and Billy Cunningham. They have won three NBA Championships, with their first coming as the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. The second title came in the 1966–67 season, a team which was led by Chamberlain. The third title came in the 1982–83 season, won by a team led by Erving and Malone. The 76ers have only been back to the NBA Finals once since then: in 2001, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1.

Source

Game Stats Pregame

Support SteemSports Ultimate Vote Betting … together we all can win!

How to Play

• Vote on the main post to enter the bet (main post rewards will also be added to the Stake Pool).

• Cast your Vote Bet on ONLY ONE outcome for which you bet on for the win (Multiple comment votes will be automatically disqualified by the script, unvote and revote counts as multiple votes and will be disqualified).

• After 24 hours, the post and related game comments payout to the pool; remember 25% voters rewards are deducted from the total post payout value first as per Steem curation rules. Voters are rewarded in standard fashion in proportion to their Steem Power holdings.

The Stake Pool:

• The remaining 75% of the total payout is paid out in 50% Steem Power and 50% in liquid currencies, the latter now varies in payout ratio after the new fork. To make the process less complicated, we have decided to use all paid out SBD to buy Steem in the internal market to create a grand total Steem Stake Pool.

• 30% of the Stake Pool will be retained, of which 15% will go to the writer/sports presenter of the post, and the 15% balance towards editing, development and advertising.

• 70% of the Stake Pool will be held until the event/game outcome is determined.

• Once the winning outcome is determined, we will execute a proprietary developed script that will divide and pay out the Steem rewards equally, using the Power Up method, to Mass Distribute SP to all participants that voted on the main post as the entrance fee as well as voted on the correct comment representing the winning outcome.

• Only participants with a Reputation of 35 or more will qualify to earn SP rewards, but non-qualifiers can still vote and comment in support of the redistribution initiative.

• Vote Percentage Requirements : Players with less than 100 000 Steem Power (SP) are required to vote main post with at least 50% and players with more than 100 000 SP are required to vote main with at least 10%.

• Comments may then be voted with any percentage, but we do encourage all players to vote main and comment with as much power as possible to help distribute SP and create employment for writers and editors.

• Entry cut-off time is the earlier of the post payout or the start of the event.

• In the event of a draw/tie and such vote option was omitted by @steemsports for any reason, the game will result in all players being paid out regardless of which draw/tied outcome voted.

Disclaimer and Image/Source Credits:

Sources
1 2 3 4 5 6

• Images used in this post are either paid for and modified, Creative Commons (CC) or image credits supplied.
• Note the views and predictions of the presenters are their own personal views and do not reflect the views and opinions of @steemsports. @steemsports does not offer betting advice.
• Errors and Omissions Excepted (E&OE). SteemSports is currently beta, currently no liability will be assumed for errors.
• @steemsports reserves the right to amend future payout percentages based on the operation needs of the account.
• @steemsports is not a traditional betting platform and no fiat currency is used as rewards or in casting bets; as such does not fall under any gaming and gambling jurisdictions; but even so, users are urged to first consult with the laws and age restrictions of their countries.
• @steemsports in the unlikely event that when the Stake Pool is divided up between the winners and the nomenclature resolution goes below the third decimal place (example: 0.0001), then Steem decimal restrictions won’t allow a payout and the pool will carry over to the next game.
• Please vote responsibly :).

Copyright © Ricardo Goncalves 2016

Campaign Partners

@complexring - campaign supporting witness and advisory role

@nextgencrypto - campaign supporting witness

@smooth.witness - campaign supporting witness

@riverhead - campaign supporting witness

@blocktrades - campaign supporting witness

@datasecuritynode - campaign supporting witness

@joseph - campaign supporting witness

@chitty - campaign supporting witness [Steemfund Project]

@kryptik - advisory role

Vote for the people! Vote for thecryptodrive witness!

Autovote @steemsports posts with steemvoter.com and help us grow the SP Distribution Stake Pool!

Manual bets on comments must still be placed to pick winners!

Check out the sports category for great buys!

Contact me, thecryptodrive to have your logos displayed in the footer of our posts in exchange for advertising @steemsports to your communities and initiatives, or for other worthy support.

Remember to UPVOTE, FOLLOW REPOST and SHARE on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others, in support of the @steemsports initiative!

VOTE BET BELOW!!! VOTE MAIN POST AND ONE OUTCOME ONLY!