The Raptors open the playoffs at home for the second straight season, and once again Paul Pierce is talking up a storm in the visitors locker room. This time around it's the Washington Wizards and not the Brooklyn Nets, who defeated Toronto last year in a Game 7 with Paul Pierce blocking a Kyle Lowry shot at the buzzer. I like Toronto at home in Game 1.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Home Cookin' - The Raptors were a solid 27-14 at home during the regular season, and they swept the season series, winning all three meetings versus the Wizards. Two of those wins came at home, and they held Washington to an average of 86.5 points in those games.

2. Previous History - The Wizards struggles against Toronto go deeper than just this season, They've lost seven of the last eight overall in this series, scoring an average of just 91 points in those seven losses.

3. X-Factor - The Raptors finished with a better record despite the fact that their two best players (DeRozan & Lowry) both misses significant time. Both are back and healthy, and Lowry scored 26 points in a win over Charlotte on the final day of the regular season.

Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Raptors .(10*)