The Toronto Raptors will be heading to the play-in games for the Eastern Conference, but first, they need to face the Charlotte Hornets. We continue our NBA odds series with a Raptors-Hornets prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Raptors come in 7-3 in their last ten games and a 39-39 record overall. The recent surge has clinched them a spot in the play-in games, where they are currently slated to face the Atlanta Hawks. Their last game out was also in Charlotte, as Pascal Siakam scored 36 points to lead the Raptors to a 128-108 win over the Hornets. The Hornets have lost their last two games, and the defense has not been the best as of late. They have given up 121 or more points in each of their last three games.
Here are the Raptors-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Raptors-Hornets Odds
Toronto Raptors: -14.5 (-110)
Charlotte Hornets: +14.5 (-110)
Over: 223 (-110)
Under: 223 (-110)
How To Watch Raptors vs. Hornets
TV: TSN/ Bally SE
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
The Raptors just handled this Hornets team with ease on Saturday, winning by 20. They may be without Gary Trent and O.G. Anunoby, but that should not be an issue for this squad tonight. In the last game over the Hornets, the Raptors shot wonderfully, shooting 53.8% from the field, while also hitting all eight free-throw attempts on the night. They were able to outrebound the Hornets 45-37, and limited turnovers. They only had eight turnovers on the night compared to the Hornets who had 18.
Overall, they dominated in the paint. They scored 90 of their 128 points in the paint, as the Hornets could not slow them down inside. This was led by Pascal Siakam who scored 28 of his 36 points inside. Siakam also dominated the game as a whole, adding seven rebounds and seven assists on the night. The paint domination was not just on the offensive end. They held the Hornets to just 44 points inside while adding in six blocks to control the game.
Beyond the great play by Siakam, Fred VanVleet put on a show. In his game against the Hornets, he set a franchise record with 20 assists and also put up 20 points to go with it. For good measure, VanVleet got himself five rebounds and three steals to complete the showing. With how much the Hornets struggle on offense, this fifth-ranked Raptors defense should be able to shut them down, and they have more than enough firepower to cover the spread.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The biggest help for the Hornets may be that Anunoby does not play. they gave up 23 points and seven rebounds to him in the last game. While someone will replace part of that production, they should not replace all of it. It will also be hard for VanVleet to replicate a twenty-assist performance, so the game should be closer just based on those two factors.
The Hornets are not just a bad team, they are also dealing with a ton of injuries. They are missing LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre Jr., and PJ Washington. Between those five being out, combined with Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels being traded, the top seven scorers in terms of points per game for the Hornets will not be on the court. That means the scoring burden will fall to Svi Mykhailiuk, who did have a career-high 26 points against the Raptors last time out.
Mykhailiuk cannot be a one-man show though, and someone has to set him up. That burden falls to Theo Maledon, who had a season-high 14 assists in his last outing, and also came down with eight rebounds. Maledon has done well with being thrust into more minutes, getting over nine assists in each of his last three games. If Nick Richards is back, he will have to get the majority of the rebounds. In his four most recent four games, he has had over 11 rebounds in each of them, including 17 against the Pacers in a win.
Final Raptors-Hornets Prediction & Pick
The Hornets are putting out a G-league squad. They have an entire starting five out, and the guys who are trying to fill in are doing alright, but it is not enough to compete. Mykhailiuk and Maledon each had one of the best games of their careers in the last outing against the Raptors, and they still lost by 20. Yes, VanVleet will not get 20 assists, and Anunoby should be out, but regardless, there are just not enough quality players to play minutes for the Hornets. VanVleet has another amazing day, and Siakam dominates as the Raptors roll in this one.
Final Raptors-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Raptors -14.5 (-110)
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