NBA East Battle Nets @ Raptors

The Toronto Raptors (10-12 SU, 9-12 ATS, 12-9 O/U) have been one of the more disappointing teams in the Eastern Conference in the early going of the 2008-09 NBA campaign.

The New Jersey Nets (11-11 SU, 12-10 ATS,, 11-11 O/U) have been one of the more pleasant surprises in the league so far, but have dropped three straight games in the BetOnline Sportsbook.

Tonight, both teams will be looking to get back in the win column following losses in their respective last outings when they meet at Air Canada Centre.

The Nets are coming off a 113-104 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, failing to cover the spread for BetOnline NBA sports betting backers as a 4.5-point road underdog.

The Nets got a game-high 39 points from Vince Carter and 22 points from point guard and leading scorer Devin Harris, though he shot an ugly 6-for-18 from the field in the loss. Starting forward Yi Jianlian scored just two points on 1-for-8 shooting while the team shot a collective 38.7 percent from the field, including a dismal 6-for-23 mark from 3-point long distance for the second consecutive game.

The Raptors are coming off a 99-91 loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday, snapping a modest two-game winning streak while failing to cover the spread in the BetOnline Sportsbook as a 2-point home favorite.

Toronto fell to just 2-4 under interim coach Jay Triano, who replaced the fired Sam Mitchell earlier this month.

"We just have to put something together, get some confidence at home," said Chris Bosh, who scored a team-high 25 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists for good measure.

Point guard Jose Calderon added 22 points and seven assists for Toronto.

"We’re getting close to where we want," Calderon told the Raptors’ official Web site. "We’re going to be OK. I keep being positive because I feel like every day we’re a little bit better team."

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Pick.

The Nets are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5.

The Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.

The Raptors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 0 days rest.

The Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when their starting 5 players combine for more than 160 minutes of the previous day.

The Under is 6-1 in Nets last 7 Monday games.

The Under is 10-2 in Raptors last 12 games playing on 0 days rest.

The Under is 26-10 in the last 36 meetings.

The Nets are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings.

The Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

NBA Odds

New Jersey Nets +4½ -110

Toronto Raptors -4½ -110

Over 203 -110

Under 203 -110

Analysis: While the Toronto Raptors haven’t been exactly setting the league on fire lately, I do like them to win this game and cover the spread against a Nets team that has struggled badly in dropping their last three games while failing to cover the spread each time.

Take the Raptors to bounce back from their loss to New Orleans with a big win tonight.

NBA Free Picks: Raptors -4½ Points/Under 203 Total Points