The Charlotte Hornets will travel North of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors in a Thursday night NBA matchup at the Scotiabank Arena. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Hornets-Raptors prediction and pick, laid out below.
Charlotte has weathered some injury storms, falling to an 11-31 record, 15th place in the Eastern Conference. In the team’s last six games, five of those contests have ended in a Charlotte defeat. Two separate eight-game losing streaks have underscored the awful season for head coach Steve Clifford.
Toronto has struggled to an 18-23 record, sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. In their last 17 games, Toronto has lost 12, dropping their record below .500. Head coach Nick Nurse has made the playoffs in three of his first four seasons as head coach, but that is in danger right now.
Here are the Hornets-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Hornets-Raptors Odds
Charlotte Hornets: +8 (-110)
Toronto Raptors: -8 (-110)
Over: 230.5 (-110)
Under: 230.5 (-110)
How To Watch Hornets vs. Raptors
TV: Bally Sports Charlotte, The Sports Network
Stream: NBA, NBA League Pass
Time: 7:40 PM ET/ 4:40 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
Despite missing over a month, LaMelo Ball leads the team with 23.1 points and 8.6 assists, ranking fourth on the team with 5.4 rebounds. Clearly, missing Ball is a huge reason why Charlotte has been awful this season. Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Terry Rozier are the other two Hornets with over 20 points per game, averaging 21.0 and 20.2, respectively. Oubre, Jr. had surgery earlier this month and will be out until at least mid-February. Mason Plumlee is narrowly missing a double-double, averaging 11.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, which leads the team. PJ Washington ranks fourth with 15.3 points per game, shooting 35.1 percent from behind the arc. Charlotte is the worst three-point shooting team in the league, but Washington has shot over 36 percent in his career.
Charlotte has averaged 112.1 points per game, which is 22nd in the league. Encouraging is their eighth ranking in steals, averaging 7.9 takeaways per game. Charlotte’s defense has struggled, ranking 28th with 118.5 points allowed per game.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Pascal Siakam leads the team with 25.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Siakam missed ten games earlier in the season but has been healthy since. O.G. Anunoby leads the team with 2.2 steals per game, also ranking fourth with 18.3 points per game. Anunoby has shot 46.9 percent from the field. Fred Van Vleet’s hot shooting has cooled off a bit, yet he still ranks third on the team with 18.4 points per game. Gary Trent Jr. is second with 18.5 points and second with 1.6 steals per game. Scottie Barnes has put up 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Chris Boucher, the team’s main weapon off the bench, has put up 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The team has missed Otto Porter Jr., who is now out for the season following foot surgery.
Toronto doesn’t turn the ball over much, ranking first with just 12.1 turnovers per game. The team has averaged 111.7 points per game, which ranks 25th in the league. The defense has been strong, with Toronto leading the league with 9.3 steals per game. Opponents have averaged 111.4 points per game, which ranks ninth in the league.
Final Hornets-Raptors Prediction & Pick
The talent gap in this one is huge, and Toronto's stifling defense will be the key.
Final Hornets-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Toronto -8 (-110), under 230.5 (-110)