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The Raptors host the Nets on Thursday night, in a battle of two of the bottom-five teams in the Eastern Conference standings (7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet). Both teams are looking to snap out of a funk, with Toronto slightly favored to pull off the home win.

The Sporting News has you covered with the betting odds for this star-studded clash and some best bets and top props from BetMGM.

MORE: NBA betting, explained: Complete guide to odds, types of bets, more

This should be a fun one for hoops fans and bettors alike. Let’s get to the best bets, top props, and final score prediction for the Raptors vs. Nets on Thursday night.

Raptors vs. Thunder odds, pick against spread
All odds and props are from BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.

ATS: Raptors -3.5 (-110) | Nets +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Raptors -175 | Nets +145
Over/under: O 218.5 (-105) | U 219.5 (-115)
Darko Rajaković’s squad finds itself favored for the second game in a row, and just the second time all season. The Raptors were also favored to beat the Bulls on Monday but ultimately fell to Chicago by one point after a dagger three-pointer by Bulls guard Lonzo Ball.

The Raptors are singing “Mama said there’d be days like this” rather than “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” They have dropped five straight games, and haven’t won on their home floor in over 15 days.

Brooklyn is in a similar boat. After a promising start to the season, the Nets have lost three straight games and 10 of their last 15. In a few short weeks, they’ve dropped from a playoff seed to outside of Play-In positioning.

Both these teams have a lot more fight than their ugly records might suggest, though. Toronto (7-20) has gone 18-8-1 against the spread, good for the second-best cover rate in the NBA (69.2%). The Nets (10-16) have gone 15-10-1 ATS, the eighth-best cover rate in the league.

Raptors vs. Nets best bets and final score prediction
The Raptors don’t seem like a very comfortable 3.5-point home favorite. Franchise player Scottie Barnes (ankle) remains questionable to play, while point guard Immanuel Quickley (elbow), big man Jakob Poeltl (groin) and utility player Bruce Brown (knee) all remain out.

Toronto has endured a tough stretch, which often entails struggling to get out to any semblance of a lead early into games. And, second-half come-from-behind wins have been nonexistent. When the Raps trail at halftime, they have gone 0-14.

That’s not great news against a feisty Nets team that averages 55.3 first-half points per game and 56.1 first-half PPG on the road. In stark contrast, the Raptors have averaged just 51.6 first-half PPG over their past five games.

Even without former Raptors guard Dennis Schröder (traded to Golden State recently), Jordi Fernández’s squad has been battling hard. The Nets put up 119 points in Memphis last Friday, with a whopping eight different players dropping 12-plus points.

The Nets have some lengthy defenders in Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton, all of whom should make the lives of RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick and Kelly Olynyk difficult. Brooklyn also has some shot-makers in Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson and Shake Milton.

The Raptors have been one of the trustiest covers in NBA betting this season, but that’s mostly because they’re rarely favored to win. Without Barnes and multiple other key players, expect them to drop their second consecutive game both straight up and against the spread.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Nets 119, Raptors 116 — The Nets win straight up and the total goes well OVER the projected total of 218.5.

Raptors vs. Nets top player prop bet
Cameron Johnson, F, Nets: OVER 21.5 points (-105)
With Dennis Schröder gone, this Nets team is starting to feel more and more like Cam Johnson’s. He has dropped 26 points in three of Brooklyn’s past five games, and he has exceeded this over/under in four of the past five.

G League players are gathered in Orlando, Fla., hoping that they can find the right path to the NBA.

The 2024 G League Winter Showcase will provide players with opportunities to impress executives from all 30 NBA teams. It arrives at an important point on the basketball calendar, as players will soon be able to sign 10-day NBA contracts.

WATCH:G League Winter Showcase games LIVE on Sling

The in-season scouting event will feature more than 30 games over the course of four days, culminating with a championship matchup on Sunday night. Each G League team will play at least two games at this year’s Winter Showcase.

Here is everything you need to know about watching the G League Winter Showcase, including TV and streaming options for games.

How to watch G League Winter Showcase: TV channels, live streams
TV channels: ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NBA TV
Live streams: ESPN+, Sling, The Roku Channel
G League Winter Showcase games will be spread across ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU and NBA TV. Cord-cutters can stream nationally televised games on Sling.

Sling is the home for sports fans, as it offers a wide range of channels. You can always cheer for your favorite teams with channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.

Other streaming options include ESPN+ and The Roku Channel. For a limited time, you can get 12 months of ESPN+ for the price of nine with the purchase of an annual plan.

G League Winter Showcase schedule 2024
Dates: Thursday, Dec. 19-Sunday, Dec. 22
G League Winter Showcase quarterfinal games will be played on Thursday, Dec. 19. Semifinal games will be held on Saturday, Dec. 21, and the championship game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 22.

Non-tournament games will take place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Bronny James will look to build off the best G League performance of his career when he travels to Orlando, Fla., for the 2024 G League Winter Showcase.

In the South Bay Lakers’ Dec. 12 contest against the Valley Suns, the rookie guard totaled 30 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. James scored at all three levels, connecting on 13 of his 23 field goal attempts (56.5 percent) in 25 minutes of action.

WATCH:G League Winter Showcase games LIVE on Sling

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has noticed the recent progress, saying that James has developed his “decision-making with the basketball, being on ball and making good decisions both as a scorer and as a playmaker.” Can James take another step forward at the in-season scouting event?

Here is everything you need to know about watching James and the South Bay Lakers at the G League Winter Showcase, including TV and streaming options for games.

How to watch Bronny James at G League Winter Showcase: TV channels, live streams
TV channels: ESPNU (Dec. 19), ESPNews (Dec. 21)
Live streams: Sling
The South Bay Lakers will play two games at the G League Winter Showcase. Those games will air on ESPNU and ESPNews, and they can also be streamed on Sling.

Sling is the home for sports fans, as it offers a wide range of channels. You can always cheer for your favorite teams with channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks dominate the Western Conference, the second-place Memphis Grizzlies are often overlooked. They are 18-9, and Ja Morant is playing at an All-Star level, keeping them in the top five in both offensive and defensive ratings.

However, after an injury-riddled season last year that kept them out of the postseason, the Grizzlies are not seen as a legitimate title threat, even though all the advanced metrics and their record point to them being legitimate contenders. Many of the league’s best teams have been linked to some premier trade targets, and the Grizzlies are a sensible landing spot.

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Memphis ranks 14th in 3-point attempts per game and 16th in percentage, making only 35.8% of their shots from behind the arc. If they are willing to match salary, they could get involved in the Cameron Johnson sweepstakes.

“Many around the league expect Johnson to be next, though his salary may be a little trickier to move with his $4.5 million in unlikely incentives that count against the aprons,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote Wednesday. “Teams facing financial pressure may be challenging, but keep an eye on the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings.”

Johnson is one of the best trade assets in the NBA. Currently averaging a career-high 18.6 points on 43.3% shooting from deep, the Brooklyn Nets are expected to trade him away in pursuit of their tank and rebuild.

Johnson has been linked to his fair share of suitors, ranging from the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and plenty of others, although for the simple price of Marcus Smart and a draft pick, the Grizzlies could make a surprise bid.

Smart is valued in Memphis, but he has only six starts this season and a full injury history. Johnson, meanwhile, is reliable and would be an immediate upgrade to the starting lineup, allowing Jaylen Wells to come off the bench and dominate weaker opponents.

Philly Take with RB floated another potential option for the Sixers: Detroit Pistons sharpshooter Malik Beasley. Beasley has been a bit of a journeyman over the past several years, and this season, he’s been excellent.

Beasley has produced more with the touches the Pistons give him. He’s averaging a career-high 16 points while shooting 43.7% and 41.4% from three.

This has paid off for the Pistons, who are 11-16 and the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, a game and a half ahead of the Sixers in the conference standings.

That’s why it’s hard to see the Pistons giving him up. They don’t want to mess with their most promising team since Blake Griffin’s days.

The only way the Sixers could get Beasley
The Pistons could mess with what’s working, but only for an upgrade. If they find an upgrade for Beasley, that could lead to a potential trade to the Sixers later.

It’s hard to see the Pistons trading Beasley in the middle of a career season, but it has happened before. They’ve been impressive, but they are also at a crossroads.

They could also pack it in for the season to try for Cooper Flagg, but they may see this season as a stepping stone to something better.

President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has pulled a rabbit out of a hat before, so never say never. If he managed to get Beasley, it would be a colony of rabbits he pulled out to be honest.

The NBA All-Star Game will look much different in 2025, but the process of selecting All-Stars remains the same.

Beginning on Dec. 19, fans will have the opportunity to vote for the players they feel are most deserving to take the floor in San Francisco on Feb. 16. As always, there will be five starters from each conference, meaning there are 10 spots up for grabs. Where things differ is the game’s format.

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Format aside, here is everything you need to know to vote for the starters in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

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How does the NBA All-Star voting process work?
Fans can vote on the starters for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game from Thursday, Dec. 19, to Monday, Jan. 20.

As in years past, the fan vote accounts for 50% of the vote to determine starters. The other 50% will be split by current players and a media panel.

The All-Star ballot includes two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference. Fans can submit one ballot daily.

This year’s All-Star Game format is the first of its kind.

The 24 NBA All-Stars (10 starters and 14 reserves) will be split into three teams of eight for the three-game NBA All-Star mini-tournament. TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will draft three teams of eight during the NBA All-Star Draft on Thursday, Feb. 6.

The fourth team in the NBA All-Star mini-tournament will be the winner of the NBA Rising Stars Game played between the NBA’s best first- and second-year players and a team of NBA G League standouts.

How do you vote for the 2025 NBA All-Star starters?
Fans can vote for their favorite players on NBA.com or the NBA App. An NBA ID, which is a free account created with an email that allows fans to receive personalized content, is required to vote.

Click here to learn more about NBA ID.

When are NBA All-Star rosters announced?
NBA All-Star Game starters will be revealed on Thursday, Jan. 23. NBA All-Star Gane reserves are selected by NBA’s head coaches and will be announced on Jan. 30.