The Toronto Raptors will try to continue on the path to redemption Saturday night, as they play host to the second half of their series with the Charlotte Hornets.
The Raptors have been pretty depressing so far, locked out of their own country ("#WeTheSouth") and tied for the NBA's second-worst SU record at 3-8. Their 111-108 win over the Hornets Thursday night was their first victory against a .500-or-better squad this season.
Join us as we break down the NBA odds and serve up our best Hornets vs. Raptors picks and predictions for January 16, 2021, with tipoff at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Charlotte Hornets at Toronto Raptors Betting Preview
Injuries
Hornets: Gordon Hayward F (Questionable), Cody Zeller C (Out).
Raptors: Alex Len C (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Raptors.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
The Raptors finally looked to have it together for three quarters against the Hornets on Thursday. They were getting out in transition, moving the ball very well, and canning their open looks. But Toronto then proceeded to projectile vomit all over the court during a 12-point fourth quarter in which they nearly blew a double-digit lead several times.
After dropping an obscene 71 points in the first half, the Raptors reverted to their old ways, managing just 40 in the second and falling well short of their -10 spread. The ATS loss sinks Toronto to just 3-8 on the season, mirroring their overall futility.
Charlotte, meanwhile, has been a pleasant surprise at 6-7 ATS and SU, and merely just "inconsistent" as opposed to "completely dreadful". They almost beat the Raptors despite being without the resurgent Gordon Hayward, who may sit this game out as well.
The line for this one opened at Raptors -8, which seems like a big ask considering they've only covered a spread this big once this season, and have played with a consistency generally similar to Kyrie Irving's disposition.
We won't be surprised if Toronto gets the W here, but their last three games have been decided by a total of four points, and it's tough to put much faith in what very much seems like a (dated) reputation spread.
PREDICTION: Charlotte +8 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
It should be a bit of a warning sign to Over backers that these two teams had an utter outlier of a first-half on Thursday - totaling 133 vs. an average of 110.3 - and still barely inched past the full-game number, by all of two points.
Toronto has clawed its way back into the middle of the pack after a simply putrid start on offense, now ranking 16th league-wide with 111.1 ppg. Meanwhile, the Hornets rank 24th at 107.2 ppg, and could again be without their top scorer in Hayward (22 ppg).
Neither of these teams has a need for speed, with the Raptors in a virtual tie for the league's average pace, and Charlotte sitting 23rd per TeamRankings.com. We can also expect a better defensive effort from Toronto after Nick Nurse got to marinate with game tape for two days.
The total is set at 218.5, or essentially right at their combined average. This seems a tad high given Hayward's entirely possible absence, what should be a slower-than-average pace, and Toronto's recent string of unsustainable 3-point shooting (over 41% through last five games).
It's not a slam-dunk, but the Under should be your move here.
PREDICTION: Under 218.5 (-110)
Player Prop Pick
It's become fairly trendy to rag on Raptors forward Pascal Siakam since he came out flatter than month-old Sprite in the bubble, which has somewhat permeated into Toronto's terrible start.
Siakam's scoring has fallen this season - to 19.9 ppg from 22.9 - but he's scoring with almost identical efficiency, and still getting to the free-throw line at a decent rate.
Siakam's points total sits at 19.5, and has us thinking Over for two main reasons:
The first is that Pascal - knowing he has everything to prove - has bounced back this season, with multiple efforts of 22+ points following each of his two sub-20-point games (Charlotte held him to 15 last time out).
Also, denying the three will likely be a priority for the Hornets after they let the Raptors bury 20 triples on them. This bodes well for both Siakam's usage on offense and his shot selection (his 3-point shooting is way down this year at 31.3 percent).
It feels weird backing Spicy P amid all the internet shade, but this prop isn't too juiced for our liking.
PREDICTION: Pascal Siakam Over 19.5 points (-121)
Hornets vs Raptors Betting Card
- Charlotte +8 (-110)
- Under 218.5 (-110)
- Pascal Siakam Over 19.5 points (-121)
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