Raptors vs Hawks Picks and Predictions: Raps Bounce Back From Blowout

The Toronto Raptors try to bounce back from an ugly loss yesterday as they head to State Farm Arena to face off against the Atlanta Hawks Saturday night. This is the third time these Eastern Conference foes have met in the last month, with the Raps taking the previous two meetings.

Oddsmakers are expecting Atlanta to win this time, however, with NBA betting lines opening with Hawks as 2.5-point home favorites.

Here are our best free Raptors vs. Hawks NBA picks and predictions for Saturday, January 26. 

Raptors vs Hawks odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

This line hit the board with Atlanta installed as a 2.5-point home fave with the Over/Under at 225. The spread has stayed steady at most books while some books have shifted the total as high as 226.

These teams previously played against each other three weeks ago with the Raptors winning 125-114 as 2-point home favorites.

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.

Raptors vs Hawks predictions

• Prediction: Raptors +2.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Over 226 (-110)
• Best bet: Capela Under 10.5 points (-105)

Predictions made on 2/26/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Raptors vs Hawks game info

• Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Date: Saturday, February 26, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TSN, Bally Sports South East

Raptors vs Hawks betting preview

Key injuries

Raptors: O.G. Anunoby SF (Questionable).
Hawks: De'Andre Hunter F (Probable), John Collins PF (Out), Lou Williams SG (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Raptors are 24-8 ATS in their last 32 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Hawks.

Raptors vs Hawks picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

Atlanta played its first game since the All-Star break on Thursday night, losing 112-108 to the Bulls. The Hawks are now 4-6 SU and ATS in their last 10 games, a stretch that includes a pair of losses to the Raptors. The Hawks lost 106-100 to the Raps in Atlanta on January 31 in a contest where they were missing All-Star point guard Trae Young. With Young in the lineup four days later, they fell to the Raptors again, 125-114 in Toronto. 

The Raptors were ravaged by injuries and COVID-19 earlier in the season, but since getting healthy, they have looked like a dangerous team. Since December 31, Toronto has gone 18-9 SU (19-8 ATS) while ranking 13th in the NBA in offensive rating and 11th in defensive rating.

That said, the Raptors are fresh off a 125-93 blowout loss in Charlotte last night. The Hornets dominated on offense in that contest, racking up 34 assists and shooting 55% from the field, and the Raptors' top two scorers went as ice-cold as a Canadian winter. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, who average a total of 42.9 points per game, combined for just 16 points on 6-for-25 shooting. 

Expect bounce-back performances from both Siakam and VanVleet against a Hawks team that ranks just 27th in the league in defensive rating. And there is a silver lining to the Raps' pathetic performance last night: they trailed by 23 points at the half and ended up resting their starters for much of the second half.

Guys like Siakam, VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. have been routinely logging close to 40 minutes per game and the lighter workload last night should benefit them on the tail end of a back-to-back. With the Raptors going 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games playing on zero days of rest, back them on the spread. 

Prediction: Raptors +2.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

The Raptors don't shoot the ball particularly well, but they commit the third-fewest turnovers per offensive play in the NBA and are the second-best rebounding team on the offensive glass. They also rank third in the league in fast-break points per game (15.1) so they do a great job of running the floor and getting easy baskets despite typically playing at a slower pace in half-court sets. 

Although the Hawks are coming off a mediocre 108-point performance against the Bulls, that was with Young shooting an uncharacteristic 3-17 from the field (including 0-5 from long range). Prior to that contest, the Hawks had scored more than 120 points in four of their previous five games.

The Hawks actually turn the ball over at a slightly lower rate than Toronto and they lead the league with a sizzling 37.6 3PT%. They'll look to take advantage of a Raptors side that will likely be without its best defender in O.G. Anunoby, who missed last night's game with a fractured finger. 

These teams might not play at the speediest tempo but with how rarely they turn the ball over and Atlanta's struggles on the defensive end of the floor, we're leaning towards the Over. 

Prediction: Over 226 (-110)

Best bet

Hawks center Clint Capela is coming off a 14-point performance against the Bulls where he went 7-11 from the field. However, the big man has been phased out on offense lately and has seen his minutes tick down in recent weeks as well.

Capela averaged 15.1 ppg in 30.1 minutes per game last season but is putting up just 8.3 ppg in 24.1 mpg in his last 16 games. He has scored in double digits in just three of his last 16 contests which makes the O/U of 10.5 on his points total today seem a bit ambitious. Especially against a Raptors team that ranks eighth in the league in points in the paint per game allowed (44.9). 

Pick: Capela Under 10.5 points (-105)

Pages related to this topic