Will the 76ers continue to dominate the offensive glass? Can the Raptors make open shots? Will someone other than Kawhi Leonard or Pascal Siakam step up for Toronto? Game 7 it is. The Toronto Raptors had a chance to punch their ticket to the next round, but the Philadelphia 76ers cruised to a 112-101 victory in Game 6 behind dominant performances from Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid. Simmons and Butler each scored 20 points in the win and Embiid controlled both ends of the court with 17 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. The Raptors, meanwhile, got 29 points out of Kawhi Leonard and 21 points out of Pascal Siakam but not much from anyone else. That sets the stage for a Game 7 in Toronto on Sunday, with the Milwaukee Bucks waiting for the winner in the Eastern Conference Finals. Here are four things to watch in what should be a hard-fought game between the Raptors and 76ers... Philadelphia's offensive rebounding The 76ers punished the Raptors on the offensive glass in Game 6. They had 16 offensive rebounds in total, but five of them came in the first quarter, which helped them set the tone for the game. Simmons benefited the most from those second chance opportunities. Three of his four his baskets in the opening quarter came following an offensive rebound, including the one in the closing seconds that put the 76ers ahead 29-21. "We had a couple of good defensive possessions and his big arm and hand came up there and tipped them in," Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said of Simmons after the game. "Those are tough when you've had a good defensive possession and they stick in a high percentage tip-in." The 76ers finished the game with 18 second chance points compared to nine for the Raptors. It's the most they've had in a game this series, their previous high coming in Game 3, when they scored 15 second chance points off of nine offensive rebounds. That hurt the Raptors in a number of ways, one being that it limited their transition opportunities. In Game 5, for example, Toronto kept Philadelphia to five offensive rebounds and scored 33 points in transition. In Game 6, the Raptors gave up 16 offensive rebounds and scored only 11 points in transition, the latter being their lowest total yet in this series. To keep their season alive, the Raptors can't afford to lose the battle on the boards and in transition again. Toronto's 3-point shooting The Raptors were ice cold from the 3-point line in Game 6, missing 27 of their 36 attempts. The majority of those attempts were wide open, too - 25 to be exact, per NBA.com, of which they made only seven. The problem isn't just that the Raptors weren't able to capitalize on those opportunities. It's that the 76ers were able to take advantage of those misses - as well as the 12 turnovers they committed - by pushing the pace and attacking the Raptors while they were scrambled. "We just missed so many shots early and they were just playing off the rebound so often," Nurse said post-game. "They were getting them off the rebound and pushing it out on us. "We were not doing a great job in transition and when we did, we ended up cross-matched a little bit and they made us pay for those." It's another way in which Simmons was able to get himself going after not being much of a factor offensively in Games 2 through 5. Simmons made more of an effort to get out in transition, where he was among the league leaders in scoring this season. And when he wasn't scoring in transition in Game 6, Simmons was collapsing the defence and setting his teammates with high percentage looks. Simmons finished the game with 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers. It was only the second time in these playoffs that he's scored 20 or more points and only the second time that hasn't committed a single turnover. When Simmons does both of those things - provide a scoring punch and take care of the ball - the 76ers have proven to be a tough team to beat. The Pascal Siakam and Joel Embiid matchup It's clear the 76ers aren't worried about Siakam shooting 3-pointers, even wide open ones. It's an adjustment they made after Game 1 by putting Embiid on him instead of Tobias Harris. Siakam is still averaging 20.8 points per game, but he hasn't been nearly as effective since Game 1. According to NBA.com, he is 5-for-22 from the 3-point line and 17-for-49 overall with Embiid as his primary defender in this series. By not being much of a threat from the perimeter, it's allowed Embiid to sag way off of him and clog the paint, making life difficult for Siakam and his teammates whenever they make a move towards the basket. That's had a tremendous impact on the Raptors offensively. With Siakam on the court and Embiid on the bench, they're scoring at a rate of 122.0 points per 100 possessions through six games. With both of them on the floor, that number falls to 94.9. "Pascal had some really good looks tonight and missed some open 3s with [Embiid] going to help," Kyle Lowry said after Game 6. "When he's out there, he's a big body, he's a force on both ends. We notice when he's out there and when he's not." The Raptors have made an effort to get Embiid moving more in the halfcourt as the series has progressed by involving in Siakam in more actions, such as handoffs and pick-and-rolls with him being the one setting screens. They might need to do a lot more of that in Game 7 if the 76ers are going to play Embiid more than his usual 32 minutes. The other Raptors It was something to watch heading into Game 6, but for very different reasons.<doc-sep>It all comes down to this. A decisive Game 7 in which the Sixers will look to ride the momentum of their Game 6 rout of the Raptors. Will a presumably healthier Joel Embiid, who is coming off what Brett Brown called a “stupid” +40 on Thursday night, lead the way? Will Ben Simmons and his shorter tights rise to the occasion in what is to this point the most important game of his young career? Like this: https://twitter.com/_MarcusD3_/status/1126666868939472896 Or, is it going to be Kawhi Leonard going off one more time, carrying the Raptors on his back to an Eastern Conference Finals date with Milwaukee? Let’s break it down. Odds Here are the Sixers-Raptors odds for Game 7: DraftKings Sportsbook Spread Money Total Sixers +6.5 +225 209.5 Raptors -6.5 -265 209.5 PointsBet Spread Money Total Sixers +6 +215 209.5 Raptors -6 -270 209.5 The Sixers were as much as a 6.5-point underdog at DraftKings Sportsbook shortly after the Game 7 odds were first posted. The spread briefly dipped down to +5.5 by early Saturday afternoon, but as of early Sunday morning, the Sixers are back to where they started at +6.5. Maybe it has something to do with this: How is the NBA coping halfway through its first LeBron-less playoffs in 14 years? Pretty good if you like Game 7s ⬇️ https://t.co/FdhQoStWGw — Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 11, 2019 Nothing like some organizational drama ahead of a franchise’s most important game in roughly 18 years to get you feeling good. The Raptors are getting 58% of the total wagers and 61% of the money across reporting markets. In terms of the totals market for this one, 33% of the total bets are on the under but so is 58% of the total money. It seems the big bettors like it stay under 209. More on that in a bit. Money line bettors looking for the best value on Philly should jump over to DraftKings where the Sixers are +225. Money must be coming in hot on Toronto at DraftKings because the Sixers were only +200 late Saturday afternoon. Those picking Toronto outright should also head to DraftKings where you can get the Raptors at -265. That is a markedly higher price than the -235 you could have bought them at yesterday. Home Teams Have Been Tough in Game 7s I’ll preface the data I’m about to show here by saying that in many cases, home teams tend to win Game 7 because they are simply the superior team. Watching this series, one could certainly make the claim that home-court advantage has played a role (home teams are 4-2), but can anyone say Toronto is definitively the better team? If anything, I think a case could be made that Philadelphia has shown itself to be the more talented team, and that perhaps the biggest obstacle standing in their way of advancing is themselves. That being said, the Sixers are up against some pretty daunting recent history on Sunday night. Let’s start with some general Game 7 trends and then work to more specific ones. Favored home teams are 24-19 ATS and 31-12 outright in Game 7s since the 2005 NBA Playoffs. Sizable spreads like the one in this game have also indicated trouble. The Sixers were a 6.5-point underdog on Friday afternoon, which doesn’t bode well for their chances of survival. Home teams favored by at least six points are 12-7 ATS and a very strong 17-2 SU, including nine straight outright wins since 2005. The only two teams to overcome this spot in that span are the 2012-2013 Chicago Bulls and the 2011-2012 Los Angeles Clippers. If we get more specific with this trend, home teams favored between exactly six and seven points are 6-5 ATS and 10-1 SU. Not great! Does the Game 6 Blowout Mean Anything? So we know that road teams, particularly those that are healthy underdogs, are in a tough spot heading into Game 7s. That’s fine, but I also wondered how Game 6 blowouts impacted the decisive games of past series. Specifically, I wanted to see how road teams fared in Game 7s after winning the previous game. To my surprise, they haven’t fared very well. Road underdogs coming off a win of any margin are only 12-15 ATS and 7-20 SU in Game 7s since 2005, and when the margin is 10+ points, those teams are 9-9 ATS and 6-12 SU. Moreover, road underdogs of at least six points that are coming off a 10+ point win are only 2-3 ATS and a miserable 0-5 SU. So, if you’re working theory is that a convincing win will create confidence and momentum heading into Game 7, I get it, but that hypothesis hasn’t historically held up. As for the Sixers’ own performance after a win as an underdog in the previous game, they are only 4-8 ATS this season. Raptors’ Resiliency is Problematic The Raptors haven’t done a great job covering the spread after a loss, going only 13-14 ATS, but they’ve typically played well after losing, compiling a 18-9 SU record off a loss. They’ve also been one of the league’s elite teams over the last three years following a loss with a 59-32 record in such a spot. Equally concerning are the Sixers’ road struggles. They’ve won only 10 of their 27 road games coming off a win this season and are 6-9 SU when playing as a road underdog after a win. Rest Easy? The Raptors are 6-2 ATS in home games this season when coming off exactly two days rest. The Sixers, meanwhile, are only 3-5 ATS as underdogs coming off two days rest. Going Under Anecdotally, the under feels like the right play here. Game 6 hit the over by a bucket, but needed dreadful garbage time basketball to get there and the majority of the games in this series have slanted towards under plays. Pair that with recent historical data of Game 7s, and there’s plenty to like about the under in this one. Under plays are 26-19 in Game 7s since 2005.<doc-sep>TORONTO – The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors head into Game 7 on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, TNT) with more than a spot in the conference finals at stake. Both teams have free agents – Kawhi Leonard for Toronto and Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris for Philadelphia – whose future may be predicated on the outcome of Sunday’s game. Plus, a Sixers loss may impact Coach Brett Brown’s future with the team. Philadelphia’s ownership group has high expectations for the team. So, we’ll see. But first things first. The winner of Sunday’s game plays Milwaukee in the conference finals starting Wednesday. HOW GAME 7 WILL BE WON: Blazers-Nuggets will be must-watch LAKERS HAVE A NEW COACH:Frank Vogel to join L.A., Jason Kidd joins staff Here is what will determine who wins the series finale: The stars It’s difficult to imagine either team winning without a significant contribution from their top players: Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry for Toronto and Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons for Philadelphia. Drill down deeper, the Raptors need a tremendous game from Leonard and the Sixers need one from Embiid. The Sixers were able to win Game 6 without Embiid dominating offensively, even though he contributed with his defense, rebounding and pick-and-roll game. His offensive is necessary in Game 7 on the road. Given Leonard’s performance in the playoffs – he’s been as good or better than anyone in the postseason – it’s just about given he shows up and produces in a major way. X-factors Each team has a couple of players who can sway the outcome with a good game. Siakam’s up-and-down, inside-outside game has caused problems for the Sixers. He’s been really good but has faltered with his shot in a couple of games. We know about the lack of jump shot for Simmons, but when’s he’s speeding to the rim and passing, like he did in Game 6, Simmons makes the Sixers even better. Three-point shooting will have some impact on this game so pay attention to the Raptors’ Danny Green (38.2 percent for the series on threes, 11-for-24 in the past four games) and the Sixers’ J.J. Redick (38.2% from deep in this series, 4-for-13 in the past two games). Experience Leonard has playoff experience from his time in San Antonio, and he was the 2014 Finals MVP. But Raptors coach Nick Nurse is in his first season as an NBA head coach. He’s been on the bench as an assistant for the playoffs, but this is different. Butler has played in 65 playoff games, including some big ones with the Chicago Bulls, including a Game 7 victory. The Sixers’ Brett Brown has never been in a Game 7 as the head coach, but he has been on the Spurs’ bench as an assistant in significant games, including multiple Game 7s. Both teams will have to draw on whatever Game 7 experience they can, especially in critical late-game situations.<doc-sep>Toronto Raptors reporters weigh in on Game 7 of playoff series vs. Sixers originally appeared on nbcsportsphiladelphia.com Before Game 7 tips off tonight, we got the lowdown on the Raptors from the media on the other side. What would Toronto have to do to beat the Sixers in Game 7? I think there are two key points. They have to hit open shots around Kawhi Leonard. The Sixers have done a good job getting the ball out of his hands. The Raptors have done a good job creating really good looks from three-point range and they are hitting 32 percent on wide-open threes. In a one-game sample, you can't really expect that to normalize, but if that is closer to 40 than to 30 percent, I like the Raptors' chances on offense. And then on the other end, it's mostly a matter of picking Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons up on the offensive glass. All series, unless Embiid goes off, the biggest way Philadelphia has been able to create cheap offense in the half court is when Toronto loses track of Butler and Simmons once the ball goes up. Some population other than Kawhi Leonard has to score, someone amongst Ibaka, Gasol and Siakam. I'd say two of those three guys have to have a good game. I think that's what Philly is willing to live with. Embiid seems to be ignoring all three of them most of the time. They are going to have looks from three, looks from mid-range, and then, if they can convert a reasonable percentage, I think the Raptors are going to be fine. But if they don't look to shoot or to take advantage of the room they are going to get, then Embiid gets to camp out in the paint, make life difficult for Lowry and suck up all those offensive rebounds. Then you're really just depending on Leonard to create anything. And that's a risky way to go. I know it sounds really simplistic, but I really think that for the Raptors to win, they've just got to make shots, because it takes transition away from Philadelphia where Ben Simmons is far more dangerous than he is in the half court. The Raptors' defense tends to feed off their offense and if they get on a roll, I think that's what puts them over the top. It's going to be loud, it's going to be intense and it's going to be very emotional. But if they calm down, get some shots in and their defense set up, take Philly out of what they do most effectively, I think that's how they win. Story continues My two things: Play the defense that they played for four of the six games in this series, and the five games against Orlando. Nine of 11 games they've been really good defensively, holding opponents under 43 percent shooting, and that translates during the regular season - going all the way back to when Bryan Colangelo was the GM here - to a ridiculous win percentage. And the other thing is, make open shots. The quintessential make or miss phrase comes to mind but barring that, they've won some games in the series here and against Orlando when they didn't make shots because the defense was good. I think it's going to be close. The line is Toronto by six - I wouldn't touch that. I think it's going to be within the six points. And another thing - Leonard has been in win or go home games three times and has never had more than 20 points. Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! 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Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors Betting Odds Spread: Raptors -6 Over/Under: 209 Time: 7 p.m. ET TV Channel: TNT Series Score: Tied 3-3 >> All odds as of Saturday. Download The Action Network App to get real-time odds and live win probabilities on your bets. The most beautiful two words in sports: Game 7. These teams each have an impressive road win in this series. Can Philly do it again? Or will Kawhi and Co. take care of business at home? Our analysts discuss. Betting Trends to Know The Raptors opened as 6.5-point favorites in Game 7. Since 2005, the chalk in winner-take-all showdowns has gone 25-20 against the spread. Teams favored by more than three points have gone 25-14 (64%) ATS. — John Ewing Both the Raptors and Nuggets lost by double digits in Game 6 and now have an uphill battle in Game 7. Since 2013-14, teams who lose by double-digits in Game 6 are 10-14 (41.7%) ATS in Game 7. — Evan Abrams The Sixers escaped with a win on the road in Toronto in Game 2, breaking a 14-game road losing streak north of the border. Since 2012-13, the Sixers are 2-15 SU and 5-12 ATS in Toronto, failing to cover the spread by 6.9 points per game. — Abrams Locky: How I’m Betting Game 7 The mystery of Joel Embiid adds at least one more chapter in this postseason. Much like with Games 4, 5 and 6, I was hesitant to give any opinion on the side or total because Embiid’s status was so uncertain. He’s kind of a big deal. In each of those three games we had three very different outcomes: a close Raptors win, a blowout Raptors win and a blowout 76ers win. What will we get when we spin the wheel again on Sunday? What I do know is that for someone with Embiid’s litany of health issues, the extra day of rest can only help. Can he distance himself from illness even if the lingering tendinitis remains? His offense was still very rusty in Game 6, but his defense was exemplary on Pascal Siakam; that was a big reason why he finished with a plus-minus of +40. 40!! And he shot only 5-for-14. Really an amazing statistical confluence if there ever was one. Even that type of performance at both ends may be enough here, but he can’t slip back into passive, fatigued, lazy Embiid. If Embiid was even half as effective as normal, the Sixers are better and they should win the series. They let Game 4 completely get away from them when Embiid was so ineffective (and his replacements were as bad as you can possibly get), and that game may very well be the one they regret if they come up short here. But in Game 7, I like taking the best team, and to me the best team is Philly. They don’t have the best player, but they arguably have the next best four players (depending on where you slot Siakam), and I think they’ll get more out of their bench with James Ennis and Mike Scott than Toronto can reliably get out of anyone. Embiid remains a mystery, but getting 6.5 points in the most important game of his career — I’ll bet that he at least gives a Game 6-level performance. — Ken Barkley Mears: How I’m Handicapping Today’s Game This series has been the most difficult to handicap on a game-by-game basis. Leonard has been the only consistent player, and factors like Embiid’s health and role players’ effectiveness have changed on a whim. I thought the Raptors had a good chance of closing things out in Game 6, mostly due to an adjustment head coach Nick Nurse made. He matched Embiid’s minutes with Marc Gasol’s, who has done an absolutely terrific job defending him and forcing him into tough shots. That was the case in Game 6, but it didn’t matter, as Jimmy Butler and especially Ben Simmons had excellent games. The role players off the bench like James Ennis and Mike Scott also played well at home. If you think Simmons won’t replicate his performance and those bench guys will be worse in a road Game 7, that Gasol factor still applies and could be a difference here. That said, I don’t think Locky is wrong in thinking Philly is the more talented team when healthy.