Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets 01/08/20 NBA Odds and Betting Preview

The Toronto Raptors visit the Charlotte Hornets at their hive in the Spectrum Center on Wednesday night.

Toronto and Charlotte are trying to bounce back from losses in their last assignments. The Raptors lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night while the Hornets fell to the Indiana Pacers one day earlier. Toronto is 24-13 SU on the season and in 4th place in the Eastern Conference team standings while the Hornets are 9th in the East with a record of 15-24 SU.

Short-Handed Raptors

The Toronto Raptors continue to play short-handed. Leading scorer Pascal Siakam has not seen action since December 20 due to a groin injury and Toronto has been 4-5 SU without the 2019 Most Improved Player winner. Just recently, Fred VanVleet suffered a hamstring strain and is expected to miss “significant time” due to the injury. Norman Powell also didn’t play against the Blazers on Tuesday night due to a shoulder injury.

Without Siakam and VanVleet, Kyle Lowry has carried the scoring load for the Raptors. He is averaging 23.4 points per game in Toronto’s last 10 games is coming off a 24points and 10 assists game in a losing effort to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. Serge Ibaka had 17 points and 11 boards while Chris Boucher and Oshae Brissett added 11 points apiece.

The Raptors are 18th in the NBA in scoring at 110.8 points per game. They are 10th in rebounding art 46.1 boards grabbed per contest and are 11th in passing at 24.8 dimes per outing. Toronto is tied for 4th in scoring defense at only 105.2 points per game allowed this season.

The Charlotte Hornets saw their two-game winning streak end at the hands of the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. Charlotte had lost six games in a row before winning back to back assignments against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks. The win dropped the Hornets to 15-24 on the season and three games off the playoff pace in the Eastern Conference.

Terry Rozier scored 28 points against Indiana. Rozier has averaged 29 points per game and has totaled 17 assists in his last three outings with the Hornets going 2-1 SU in those games. Devonte Graham had another strong game with 22 points and six assists in the losing effort. Marvin Williams missed the game with a nasal fracture.

Charlotte ranks third from last in scoring at 104.4 points per game this season. They are 26th in rebounding at 42.8 boards grabbed per contest and are also 16th in passing at 23.8 assists per outing. The Hornets are 15th overall when it comes to scoring defense as they are allowing opponents to score 111.0 points per game.

Who Wins?

Toronto is 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played. The Raptors are 3-2 SU in their last five games played on the road, and 7-5 SU in their last 12 road games against the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played. The Hornets are 1-4 SU in their last five games played at home, and 5-6 SU in their last 11 home games played against the Eastern Conference. Head to head, the Raptors are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played against the Hornets.

The Raptors have struggled without Pascal Siakam who has been out since December 20th. Toronto has split its last six games played and they have fallen to 24-13 on the year. Toronto is also expected to miss Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell for this game, leaving Kyle Lowry with more load to carry for his team.

The Hornets are also suffering from injuries to their rotation players. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams are listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game. Meanwhile, Terry Rozier has been on fire as of late, scoring at least 28 points in his last three outings while compiling a total of 17 assists during that stretch.

The Raptors are short-handed right now and are ripe for an upset here. However, with Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka playing, Toronto should have more talent and experience to beat the young Charlotte Hornets, even with Terry Rozier scorching hot as of late. I think Lowry and Ibaka will play steady and carry the Raptors on the road against the Hornets.

Prediction: Toronto Raptors

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Other Bets to Make

The Raptors are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played. Toronto is 4-1 ATS in their last five games played on the road. The Hornets are 4-5-1 ATS in their last 10 games played. Charlotte is 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games played at home. Head to head, the Raptors are 5-3 ATS in their last eight games played against the Hornets.

Toronto has outscored Charlotte by an average of 11.1 points per game in their last 10 meetings but the Raptors will be without Siakam and VanVleet in this game. However, I think that Toronto still has the edge here with Lowry and Siakam suiting up. Toronto is one of the top defensive teams in the league and I think they will be able to halt Rozier’s torrid streak.

Prediction: Toronto Raptors -3.5

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The total has gone under in six out of the last 10 games played by the Raptors. Toronto has seen the total go over in three out of their last five games played on the road. The total has gone over in seven out of the last 10 games played by the Hornets. The over is 3-2 in the Hornets’ last five games played. Head to head, the total has gone over in seven out of the last 10 meetings between these two teams.

These teams have combined to score an average of 221.1 points per game in their last 10 games played and 227.0 points per game in their last three head to head meetings. The Raptors have been Jekyll and Hyde without Siakam and are coming off a 99-point scoring game against the Blazers. Charlotte is in the middle of the pack when it comes to scoring defense and I think they should be able to hold the Raptors down and keep this a low-scoring affair.

Prediction: Under 208.5

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