Tonight might be a good opportunity to show off those new additions, as they visit the Charlotte Hornets, another struggling Eastern Conference club.
Although Terry Rozier has struggled from deep this season, he has made three or more three-pointers in three of his previous four games. As our choices elaborate, the Raptors will face Scary Terry and the Hornets tonight, a guard who has found success against Toronto’s defense.
The Toronto Raptors may have just won, but that doesn’t mean the sky isn’t falling in The Six. The NBA seems to be waiting to see whether the Raptors would blow it all up and deal away its important components, despite the team’s 17-23 record.
The rumor that the Hornets may sign Victor Wembanyama this season is the only thing getting people excited about the team, but should the Raptors really be an 8-point favorite over anyone?
Here are my NBA selections and predictions for the Hornets vs the Raptors, where I analyze this Eastern Conference clash and give you my best bet.
Hornets vs Raptors best odds
| Teams | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | +8.0-107 | o 228.5-110 | +280 |
| Toronto | -7.0–113 | u 230.5-110 | -265 |
Hornets vs Raptors picks and predictions
Even though the Raptors just beat the Portland Trail Blazers (117-105), some of the same issues have resurfaced.
The Raptors’ poor shooting contributed to a 45% field goal percentage for the Blazers. The loss would have been Toronto’s 12th in 15 games if Portland hadn’t vomited up all over itself by committing 22 turnovers.
The Raptors began the year with a ferocious defense, swarming the ball and making life difficult for their opponents by forcing several turnovers. Since last month, however, that simply has not been the case.
Since the start of December, the Raptors’ defense has been terrible, ranking just 21st overall, 26th in opponent field goal percentage, and 29th in opponent three-point percentage.
If the Raptors continue to play like this, there is no way I can support them while laying this many points. Let’s zero in on their recent Achilles’ heel: their inability to stop the 3-pointer.
So, let’s wager that Terry Rozier will exceed the Over on the made 3-pointer prop. Scary Rozier has found his shooting rhythm, whereas Terry has struggled this year from beyond the arc, making only 31.6% of his 3-point tries.
During his previous four games, Rozier is shooting 35.6 percent from the field and has three times made three or more threes (try saying that five times fast). Bet on him to torch the Raps with a triple of treys.
Hornets vs Raptors spread analysis
With the early money, the spread for this game has widened from a home favorite of 7.5 points for Toronto to a -8 favorite. As a fan of the Raptors who watches every game, I feel uneasy about laying so many points.
The Raptors will be favorites for the fourth consecutive game. I was sceptical that they deserved to be favored in the final three. Those two games were complete routs, though. They should be favored against the Hornets, but it will be difficult for them to cover eight points.
In their last 15 games, the Raptors are 4-11 ATS and 5-10 SU. We’ve previously established that the defense has deteriorated, and the Hornets aren’t a very strong team, but they play quickly and shoot the ball frequently.
Furthermore, there is the Raptors’ scoring attack. The half-court offense has been particularly ineffective during the previous 15 games, but it has been sluggish even at its best. The Toronto Raptors have the worst offensive rating and effective field goal percentage in the NBA.
The Raps can definitely make this if all goes according to plan. But their recent play as a whole disproves that idea. I’m avoiding the buffet for the time being.
Hornets vs Raptors Over/Under analysis
Early betting action on the Under has pushed the total for this Eastern Conference clash down to 229 as of Tuesday afternoon. Because of their defensive issues, I no longer consider the Raptors an Under team, which was previously my default prediction.
Although the Hornets’ offense isn’t spectacular, they are among the NBA’s fastest and shoot a high percentage of their attempts. Over the previous 10 games, they’ve raised their scoring to over 116 points per game.
In the meanwhile, the Hornets’ defense isn’t exactly stellar. They allow 118.1 points per game, good for 26th in scoring defense and 28th in defensive rating. The Raptors should be able to score even with their shaky half-court offense. The Over sounds like a better bet to me.
Hornets vs Raptors betting trend to know
Since the start of this season, the Raptors are 9-4-1 against teams with a losing record, and the Over is 18-8 in their previous 26 away games overall. Check out the latest NBA betting lines for the Hornets and the Raptors.
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