NBA: Charlotte Hornets vs. Toronto Raptors Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors clash at Scotiabank Arena in one highly interesting matchup. These two sides are both after a playoff spot in the East, and for the moment, the Hornets are in a better position than the Raptors. A win in this event is worth double because it is recorded against the direct rival for the postseason berth. Toronto had a very nasty schedule, and is now back in Canada, under pressure to utilize the home-court advantage on Tuesday, as they hit the road again after this event. As for the Hornets, they will play with the Raptors and then the Indiana Pacers in less than 24 hours.

Preview

Charlotte Hornets (26-21, +120) had seven wins in eight contests before losing against the Atlanta Hawks at home, 113-91. Overall, the Hornets were one of the hottest units in the East, significantly improving the playoff prospects over the recent few weeks.

Though, against the Hawks, they couldn’t do anything right. James Borrego’s team made only four threes in 36 attempts; arguably the worst shooting night behind the arc in the last few years, maybe in the franchise’s entire history.

Even though they had more rebounds and fast break points, the Hornets simply couldn’t compete with the Hawks. Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball had 19 points each, while PJ Washington and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 12 each off the bench. Terry Rozier had miserable seven points and was 0-for-6 from deep, while Ball missed all of his eight attempts for three.

Toronto Raptors (22-22, -120) have only two wins in the last seven games, but their schedule was rigid, with lots of away games combined with the rivals who are candidates for the title or at least the playoffs.

However, a loss at home to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night was something nobody expected in their locker room. That one ended 114-105 in favor of the franchise from the RIP City. A terrible opening quarter saw Toronto falling behind 18 points, and that crisis extended through the second with the result at halftime 64-34 for the visitors.

Pascal Siakam had 28 for the Raptors, a team-high, while Fred VanVleet scored 19 and Gary Trent Jr. 13. These two were 8-for-26 combined for three, which is way below their usual percentage. Apart from Chris Boucher, who scored 11 points, Toronto’s bench was without a notable impact.

Head to Head Games

The Hornets and the Raptors didn’t play since the start of this campaign. In the previous one, these two sides met three times, and the result in the series was 2-1 for the Canadians. The opening two events that took place in Amalie Arena in Florida, where Toronto played its games, saw their wins – 111-108 and 116-113. The event in Charlotte concluded 114-104 in Hornets’ favor.

Prediction

The line for the total points is set at 221.5, and that is primarily because of the Hornets, who like fast-paced basketball. Though, we saw them struggling with three-point shooting in their previous game, while on the other hand, the Raptors’ recent contests were usually below this line, and that is why we pick Under here.

Pick: Under 221.5 points

Here is the preview for the Pelicans vs. 76ers game.