Those checking out March Madness odds will surely remember Carmelo Anthony's performance for Syracuse in the 2003 Tournament, as he carried Syracuse to the national title as a freshman before leaving for the NBA. Anthony's Orangemen romped to the Sweet 16, which should make him happy, but his Denver Nuggets have dropped three in a row as they head to Toronto to face the Raptors, who don't look like a team battling for a playoff spot.
Nuggets vs Raptors odds – Friday, March 26, 7:00 PM ET
The Nuggets fell 113-99 at Boston on Wednesday, and it was an overall sloppy performance from Denver, who were without coach George Karl for the ninth game due to his cancer treatments. Anthony had 32 points to lead the Nuggets, while J.R. Smith came off the bench to net 21 points, but Chauncey Billups was quiet, going 3-of-9 for 12 points, and although he added seven boards and six assists, Billups allowed Rajon Rondo to run wild for a triple-double. More than Karl, the Nuggets may be missing the injured Kenyon Martin, who could be their best defensive player. Kevin Garnett had his first 20/10 night of the season against the Nuggets, who could be falling down the pecking order in your sportsbook.
The Raptors were thumped 113-87 at home by Utah on Wednesday, and after Friday's 115-89 rout at the hands of Oklahoma City, the Raptors have now lost consecutive home games by at least 26 points for the first time in their history. Chris Bosh scored 20 points on his 26th birthday, but the Raptors dropped the proverbial cake from the tip-off, falling down by 16 after 12 points. Hedo Turkoglu sat out the second half with the flu, but shooting 1-of-3 in the first half is bound to make anyone sick.
The Raptors should be favored in this contest, given the Nuggets' 17-19 record on the road, but don't expect fans to rush to pay the price per head for a ticket with the way that Toronto has played this year. The Raptors have dropped nine of their last 10 against the Nuggets, who beat Toronto 130-112 in Denver on November 17th behind 32 points from Anthony and another 29 points from Smith. The Raptors had a 48-33 edge on the boards in that contest, and this is a game where they have to go inside without Martin in the lineup. Martin held Bosh to 13 points in the last outing, and if Bosh is going to get a max contract in the summer, he needs to put this team on his back, a la LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Take Toronto at home on Friday before you bet March Madness.
