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The Toronto Raptors hit the road and take on the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Big Road Win
Entering their Tuesday game against the Philadelphia 76ers, some quarters said that the Toronto Raptors were no longer the dominant and feared team they were at the start of the season. But after the Raptors pulled off a big 119-107 road win over the Sixers, Toronto reminded everybody that they are still a beast in the East. With the win, the Raptors improved to 39-16 on the season, 1.5 games behind the Eastern Conference leaders Milwaukee Bucks.
Toronto is ranked 7th in scoring at 113.9 points per game. They are also 16th in passing with 24.3 assists per game. The Raptors rank 17th in rebounding at 45.1 boards per contest and the Raptors are 10th in the league in scoring defense at 108.5 opponent points per game allowed.
Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks 2/7/19
Moneyline Odds: Raptors -400, Hawks +330
Odds from Betonline as of 2/7/19
Hawks Have Played Better
Expectations aren’t high in Atlanta this season since the team is young and still in rebuild mode. That’s the reason why despite their slow start, no one is talking much about the Hawks. However, this young team has grown on the fly this season and since December 18, 2018, the Hawks have an even record of 12-12 SU. This Hawks team even took the Raptors to their limits before losing out 104-101 last January 8th in Toronto. Atlanta is 6-7 SU since that loss, proof that they are not to be underestimated.
Atlanta is 19th in the league in scoring at 110.9 points per game. They are 10th in assists with 25.5 dimes per contest and 13th off the glass with 45.5 rebounds per game. The Hawks are allowing their opponents to score 118.2 points per game, the most in the NBA this season.
Who Wins?
Toronto is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games played. The Raptors are 2-3 SUin their last 5 road games. Atlanta is 5-5 SU in their last 10 games played and the Hawks are 1-2 SU in their last three home games. Head to head, the Raptors are 7-3 SU in their last 10 meetings and Toronto is 6-2 SU in their last eight road games against Atlanta.
The Hawks have one of the worst records in the league thanks (or no thanks) to a defense that’s in the bottom in most defensive categories. Not only do the Hawks allow 118.2 points per game, they also allow their opponents to shoot 47.6% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc.
No doubt the Hawks have improved since the start of the season. They are 12-12 since December 18, 2018 and enter this matchup with a two-game winning streak. But the Hawks are just 5-20 SU at home this season and Raptors’ focus should be razor sharp here after beating the Sixers in their last game. I expect Toronto to to carry the momentum and beat the Hawks on the road.
I’m picking the Toronto Raptors to beat the Atlanta Hawks on 2/7/19.
Other Bets To Make
The Raptors are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road games played. The Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Hawks. Toronto is also 6-2 ATS when playing on the road against Atlanta.
Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks 2/7/19
Spread Odds: Raptors -9 (-110), Hawks +9 (-110)
Odds from Betonline as of 2/7/19
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in their last five games after an SU win. The Raptors are also 11-5 ATS in their last 16 road games against opponents with a home winning percentage of below .400. The Hawks are 0-6 ATS in their last six Thursday games, 1-5 ATS in their last six games after an ATS win and 3-13 ATS in their last 16 home games after a road trip of seven days or more.The Hawks may be home but should be tired and should be easy prey for the Raptors.
Prediction: Raptors -9 (-110)
The under is 7-2 in the Raptors’ last nine games played. The total has gone over in sx out of the last eight road games of Toronto. The over is 5-1 in the Hawks’ last six games played. The under is 5-1 in the last six meetings between these two teams and the under is 5-2 in their last seven meetings in Atlanta.
Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks 2/7/19
Over/Under Odds: Over 231½ (-115), Under 231½ (-105)
Odds from Betonline as of 2/7/19
The Raptors are one of the top offensive teams in the league this season and they have scored at least 110 points in four out of their last five games. Meanwhile, the Hawks have the worst scoring defense in the league so expect Toronto to put up big numbers here. The Hawks’ defense has been so bad they’ve allowed 123.67 points per game in their last six games and the over going 5-1 in those games. I fancy the over in this game.
Prediction: Over 231½ (-115)
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