As the NBA regular season winds down, the Toronto Raptors are looking to secure their spot in the playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament.
But getting a win tonight won’t be easy, as Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks have won five in a row and are also trying to climb as high as possible in the Eastern Conference standings.
Can Toronto end Atlanta’s run and cover the spread as short home favorites? Or do the Hawks have value as underdogs? Find out in our free NBA picks and predictions for Hawks vs. Raptors on April 5.
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Hawks vs Raptors odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This spread for this Eastern Conference clash opened with the Raptors as 4-point home favorites. Since then, the line has bounced back and forth between the opening number and 4.5. The total hit the board at 226.5 and has come down slightly to 226 as of Tuesday morning.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Hawks vs Raptors predictions
- Prediction: Raptors -4 (-110)
- Prediction: Under 226.5 (-110)
- Best bet: VanVleet Over 3.5 made threes (+105)
Predictions made on 4/5/2022 at 12:45 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Hawks vs Raptors game info
• Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
• Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Southeast, TSN
Hawks vs Raptors betting preview
Key injuries
Hawks: Bogdan Bogdanovic SG (Questionable), Danilo Gallinari PF (Questionable), John Collins PF (Out).
Raptors: OG Anunoby SF (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 6-0 in the Hawks' last six games as a road underdog and 12-5 in the Raptors' last 17 games as a favorite. Find more NBA betting trends for Hawks vs. Raptors.
Hawks vs Raptors picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The Raptors are coming off a somewhat disappointing loss to the Miami Heat in Kyle Lowry’s return to Toronto on Sunday. But despite the loss, the Raps’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament has shrunk to just two.
Toronto has climbed to sixth in the East thanks to a stretch that has seen them go 11-3 straight up and against the spread. They’ve done so thanks to getting mostly healthy and the All-NBA level of play from Pascal Siakam.
Siakam is averaging 25.4 points, shooting 41.2% from 3-point range while adding 8.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game over this latest 14-game stretch.
Additionally, the Raptors, who were already known for their tenacious defense, have been playing better than they have all season at that end of the floor, ranking second in defensive rating over those 14 games. But the Hawks will prove to be a tough test.
Atlanta enters this game winners of five games in a row and is only one game behind the Cavaliers in the loss column. Meaning that hosting the 7-8 play-in game is certainly within reach.
It’s no coincidence that this winning streak overlaps with the fact the Hawks’ offense is soaring once again. They rank first in offensive rating during this streak, scoring a league-best 128.4 points per game.
Trae Young has led the way for the Hawks during this run, putting up 30.8 points to go along with a whopping 11.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds. But if there’s a guy who can slow down Young, it’s Fred VanVleet — the Raps guard pressures ball handlers better than most in the NBA.
Meanwhile, despite the Hawks' excellent offense, this team still really struggles to defend the 3-point line. If the Raptors get hot from beyond the arc, their defense will do the rest.
Prediction: Raptors -4 (-110 bet365)
Over/Under analysis
The total for this game is on the board at 226 — that’s a number these two teams have eclipsed in two of their three meetings this season, and Trae Young sat out the one hat didn't.
In the last matchup back on February 26, the Hawks won 127-100 on the back of a 41-point performance from Young. So, stopping him will obviously be the Raptors' top priority, and with two of the Hawks’ better secondary scorers hobbled with injuries, focusing on Young should be, in theory, a little easier. Additionally, VanVleet was notably nursing a knee injury in that game and was clearly not able to put his best effort in.
But he is healthy now and leads a Raptors defense that has been as good as it gets of late — limiting opponents to 105.4 points per game — and will do its best to force the Hawks to slow down and play at its pace, which ranks 26th in the NBA.
And while the Hawks' defense is not great, the Raps still aren’t a great shooting team, ranking 26th in effective field-goal percentage and 19th in scoring, putting up just 109.3 points per game.
With the added intensity created by both teams needing this game to solidify their playoff standings, we like this game to sneak below the number.
Prediction: Under 226.5 (-110 DraftKings)
Best bet
You could tell Fred VanVleet’s knee was bothering him for a while, as he wasn’t getting much jump on his 3-pointers and coming in and out of the lineup. As a result, he went through a bit of a slump after the All-Star break.
But the Raptors’ All-Star — who is hitting 38.3% of his 9.7 attempts from deep for the season — seems to have found his shooting rhythm in the last two games. VanVleet drilled five threes against the Magic, and followed that up with four more against the Heat.
Now, he gets to face one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to perimeter defense. The Hawks rank 27th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage while ranking 17th in attempts per game. That should mean plenty of opportunities for Fred to let it fly in this one. And the plus-money is an added bonus.
Pick: Fred VanVleet Over 3.5 made threes (+105 at DraftKings)
