To say things have not gone well for the Toronto Raptors lately is putting it nicely. The Raptors enter tonight’s game with the Charlotte Hornets having lost 12 of their last 14 games and are coming off an embarrassing performance against the New Orleans Pelicans.
So, for the NBA odds to have them favored by a touchdown on the road tells you how truly horrific things are in Buzz City at the moment. The Hornets have the dubious honor of holding the NBA’s longest current losing streak at eight games and have only had four wins since the start of December.
Can the Raptors and newly minted All-Star Scottie Barnes take advantage of this matchup and cover the spread? Or is it too many points for a team that has its own set of issues?
I break down this Eastern Conference clash and bring you the best bet in my NBA picks and predictions for Raptors vs. Hornets on Wednesday, February 7.
Raptors vs Hornets odds
Raptors vs Hornets predictions
Yes, the Toronto Raptors have at least a little positivity in their corner with Scottie Barnes being named to his first All-Star team, even if it’s as an injury replacement for Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid. Because the Raptors need every positive thing going for them right now.
Toronto is 2-12 straight up over its last 14 games and more changes could be coming before tomorrow’s trade deadline. But while things may not look great at the moment, particularly following a humbling 138-100 defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans the last time out, there are signs of promise with this team.
This starts with Barnes' continued development. Scottie's averaging 20.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. The only other player in the NBA putting up a 20/8/5/1.5 stat line? Embiid.
And with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, plus whatever other draft picks they get, the Raps feel like they have something to build around.
That building may or may not include Jakob Poeltl. It looks like the Raps made a bit of a mistake when it came to trading for, and extending Poeltl last season, as he isn’t the ideal fit for Darko Rajakovic’s style.
Whether Poeltl gets traded by tomorrow’s deadline will be one of the big questions surrounding the Raps for the next 24 hours. But as long as he suits up tonight, he should be a big problem for the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets are an ugly 4-28 straight up since the start of December. Now, injuries have a bit to do with that. LaMelo Ball has missed big chunks of games. Gordon Hayward has been out since December. So too has Mark Williams. And while that’s a lot of missing production, it’s the defense that has been abysmal.
Charlotte ranks dead last in the NBA when it comes to defensive rating and opponent effective field goal percentage. The Hornets also rank 27th in rebounding rate, 26th in opponent rebounds per game, and 24th in opponent points in the paint. This means opposing bigs like Poeltl have been a problem.
The Raps big is averaging 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season and has been one of the few Raptors on their game. Poeltl has played in just three games since returning from an ankle injury and in the last two he’s put up 16.5 and 10.5 boards per game.
Poeltl also has 14 double-doubles this season and at +200 he’s a great value to record another one against an undermanned and undersized Hornets team.
It doesn’t hurt that our Covers Prop Projections have Poeltl at 11.8 points and 9.7 rebounds for this matchup.
My best bet: Jakob Poeltl double-double (+200 at PointsBet)
Raptors vs Hornets same-game parlay
Jakob Poeltl 10+ points
Jakob Poeltl 10+ rebounds
Brandon Miller Over 3.5 rebounds
Scottie Barnes Over 5.5 assists
Unfortunately, many sportsbooks don’t allow double-doubles as a part of same-game parlays. But we can skirt around that by taking Poeltl to get 10+ points and 10+ rebounds.
Even with Jak back, the Raptors haven't been great at rebounding as a team. They rank 28th in rebounding rate since Jan. 1 (when they traded for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley). Mix in the fact that they aren’t an elite shooting team either, and there could be some boards up for grabs in this one.
So, I’m adding Brandon Miller Over 3.5 rebounds. The rookie is one of the lone bright spots for the Hornets these days and is averaging 3.9 rebounds per game, going Over this number in four of their last five.
But Miller can’t make up for all of Charlotte’s flaws. Another reason the Raps can have success tonight is because they move the ball better than most teams in the NBA, ranking second in assists per game. The Hornets allow the fourth most assists per game.
Let’s make this SGP a four-legger by closing it out with Barnes to go Over 5.5 assists. Barnes has dished out six or more dimes in seven of his last 10 games and went for 10 and seven assists in the two previous meetings vs. Charlotte this season.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Raptors vs Hornets spread and Over/Under analysis
The Raptors opened this Eastern Conference matchup as 6.5-point road favorites and have seen the early money, moving the spread to Raps -7.5. But we’ve seen this story before.
Toronto has only been a favorite in this range one other time with its roster as currently constituted. That was back on Jan. 22 when the Raptors welcomed the shell of the Memphis Grizzlies to town. They closed that game as 6.5-point favorites and promptly lost 108-100.
Now, the Grizzlies are a much better defensive team than the Hornets. And the Hornets have covered just four games since the start of 2024, but still. I have very little confidence laying this kind of number with the Raptors until they prove they can be consistently better than the bottom-rung teams in the NBA.
Instead, I would prefer to look at something like the Raptors team total.
The total hit the board at 226 and that’s where it remains as of Wednesday afternoon. I would have a slight lean to the Over here. Toronto should have some success getting buckets against this putrid Charlotte defense. But the Raptors haven’t been much better at that end of the floor, ranking 29th in defensive rating since the start of January.
Covers community NBA picks
Raptors vs Hornets betting trend to know
The Hornets are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Hornets.
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Raptors vs Hornets game info
| Location: | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC |
| Date: | Wednesday, February 7, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports SE-CHA, SN |
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