Charlotte Hornets vs. Toronto Raptors Prediction, NBA Odds
The streaking Raptors return home Monday off a very successful road trip and welcome the Charlotte Hornets for the first time this season. Toronto is a 7.5-point favourite with a total of 239.5 on the NBA odds.
Hornets vs. Raptors NBA Betting Odds
Monday marks Toronto’s first home game since Nov. 4. Charlotte is one of those NBA franchises that can’t seem to ever catch a major break but also unable to get out of its own way at times. The Hornets have some really talented guys like guards LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel as well as forward Brandon Miller.
But Ball and Miller can’t seem to stay healthy with LaMelo always in-and-out of the lineup and Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, having been out since late October with a shoulder injury. Knueppel was the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft out of Duke, and he looks like a keeper averaging 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He’s a +240 second-favourite for NBA Rookie of the Year behind former Blue Devils teammate and No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in Dallas.
It’s the first of four meetings this season between the clubs. Toronto has won the past six season series, including 2-1 last year – winning both at home. The Dinos haven’t lost at home to the Hornets since Feb. 28, 2020, taking the past nine (6-3 ATS). Jakob Poeltl averaged 22 points and 14 rebounds in his two games last season in the series and RJ Barrett 21.0 points and 4.5 assists in his two.
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte has not won back-to-back games yet this season and enters on a two-game skid following a 109-96 home loss to defending NBA champion Oklahoma City on Saturday in the second of a back-to-back.
We mentioned LaMelo Ball above, and he missed that but it apparently was only a maintenance game as he’s not on the injury report for Monday. Collin Sexton generally starts when Ball is out and had 13 points, four boards and three helpers. He should return to Sixth Man tonight.
In Friday’s loss in Milwaukee, Ball reached the 5,000-point career mark to become only the ninth player in NBA history to record at least 5,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists within his first 250 career games.
Also out for the club are reserve forwards Josh Green and Grant Williams. Charlotte is 3-7 ATS in its past 10. It’s not a good defensive team, allowing 120.5 PPG, and is 1-5 SU away.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto finished a five-game trip at 4-1 with Saturday’s 129-111 win at Indiana and has won seven of eight overall (also 7-1 ATS). RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl led seven double-digit scorers in that one with 22 points each. Scottie Barnes reached the 5,000-career point milestone in career game No. 289, tying Kyle Lowry as the third-quickest Raptor to do so in a Toronto uniform.
The Raptors are now 3-0 this year when seven players score in double digits in a game. They also improved to 8-0 when keeping opponents below 44 per cent shooting from the field and to 4-1 when shooting at least 50 per cent themselves.
The bench again came up big Sunday with 40 points, led largely by Sandro Mamukelashvili and rookie and Collin Murray-Boyles. Since Halloween, the Raptors have gotten at least 30 points from their bench six times and are 5-1 in those games. Reserves Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle are questionable Monday.
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