The Toronto Raptors will be looking for their fourth win in five games when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.
Toronto has recently earned impressive victories over the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors over its last four games to move up to 27th in the NBA standings, which isn’t a good thing for those hoping for the best draft lottery odds this summer.
Atlanta, meanwhile, has dropped back-to-back games after suffering a 114-104 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. The Hawks sit seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, just a half game back of the aforementioned Pistons for the pivotal sixth spot in the conference.
These teams already met once back on Dec. 29, with the Hawks earning a convincing 136-107 road victory as one-point underdogs.
Let’s take a look at the game odds for Thursday’s clash between the Raptors and Hawks.
SIGN UP FOR BET365 SPORTSBOOK!
Raptors moneyline odds | +175 |
Hawks moneyline odds | -210 |
Spread odds | Hawks -5 (-110), Raptors +5 (-110) |
Game total | Over 234 points (-110), Under 234 (-110) |
Date/Time | Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET |
Betting Toronto Raptors (11-32 SU, 24-17-2 ATS, 22-21 o/u)
The Raptors overcame a 21-point first-quarter deficit to beat the Magic in Toronto on Tuesday, marking the second time this season they’ve won three games in a four-game span. They shot 53.4 percent from the field and limited the Magic to just 93 points, matching the lowest point total by an opponent this season.
Toronto’s reserves played a pivotal role in the victory, with the bench outscoring Orlando by a 41-11 margin. Bruce Brown scored 15 points, and Kelly Olynyk chipped in 12 points with four blocks.
It’s worth noting that the Raptors have the worst record in the NBA (1-19) and the worst defensive rating (121.3) on the road this season.
Betting Atlanta Hawks (22-21 SU, 18-25 ATS, 26-17 o/u)
The Hawks dropped a pivotal game with the Pistons on Wednesday that relegated them to a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference standings, and now they’ll have to face the surging Raptors on short rest. Wednesday marked just their second home game in a 25-day span, and they looked road weary, shooting a season-low 16 percent from 3-point range on 38 attempts.
The Hawks are averaging 116.7 points per game (seventh in the NBA), and they rank 18th in the league in defensive rating (113.4). The combination of these two factors has contributed to Atlanta playing over the game total in 26 of their 43 games this season, making them one of the best over bets in the league.
Raptors vs. Hawks injuries
G Immanuel Quickley (hip) is out, and F Ochai Agbaji (hand) is questionable for the Raptors.
As for the Hawks, G Zaccharie Risacher (adductor), F Larry Nance (hand), and G Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) are out.
Raptors vs. Hawks betting trends
- Toronto is 1-19 SU on the road this season (9-10-1 ATS).
- The over is 14-5 in Atlanta’s home games this season.
- Atlanta is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games.
- The Hawks are 4-4 SU and 3-5 ATS in the second contest of back-to-backs this season.
Raptors vs. Hawks player prop trends
- Scottie Barnes has beaten his steals + blocks line in eight straight games and nine of his last 10. He’s around -135 to exceed 2.5 steals + blocks on Thursday.
- Onyeka Okongwu has been consistently beating his low line for assists recently, recording two or more in four straight games and nine of his last 10. He’s averaging around three potential assists per game over his last 10 and is around -185 to notch two or more assists.
- Bruce Brown has cleared his line in rebounds + assists in five straight games, averaging 7.2 per game during that span. He’s around -155 to record over 4.5 rebounds + assists.
- Jamal Shead has been a good bet recently to record a 3-pointer, accomplishing the feat in four of his last five games. He’s around -145 to knock down a 3-pointer and is shooting a very impressive 50 percent from long range this month.
Raptors vs. Hawks best bets
- Barnes over 2.5 steals + blocks: -128 (best odds at NorthStar Bets). We’ve been winning on this red-hot prop over the last few games, so we have to keep banking on Scottie’s exceptional defensive play continuing until he inevitably falters. The Hawks are allowing 9.5 opponent steals per game (sixth-most in the NBA) and 5.5 blocks per game to the opposition (11th-most in the league), so this is a favourable matchup for the trend to continue. We were getting exceptional +130 odds on this prop just a couple of games ago, but oddsmakers have collectively responded by tightening their lines after consistently getting beaten by bettors over the last eight games. If Scottie can beat this line again on Thursday, don’t be surprised if this prop is offered around -150 odds at online sportsbooks for Saturday’s rematch between these teams. At that point, the value might not be there to keep backing it.
- Jalen Johnson over 1.5 steals: -105 (best odds at DraftKings). The Hawks rank second in the league in steals per game, and Johnson is coming off a six-steal performance Wednesday against the Pistons. He also recorded six of Atlanta’s 22 steals back on Dec. 29 against the Raptors. Opponents are averaging 9.4 steals per game against Toronto this season, the seventh-most in the league.