Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks Prediction, NBA Odds
After another eventful offseason filled with drama, player movement and unfortunate injury news, the NBA regular season is finally here.
The 2025-26 campaign kicks off this week, and one of the more intriguing matchups of Wednesday’s slate features the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks in a battle between a pair of Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls.
With tip-off just around the corner, let’s get into the odds and betting trends, plus our expert’s predictions for this season-opening game.
Raptors vs. Hawks NBA Betting Odds
These teams aren’t that much different in terms of power rating, but the Hawks are certainly more respected in the betting market, and the odds for this game reflect that. Atlanta is a 5.5-point favourite on the NBA odds at home, with the total listed at a pretty high 234.5, as oddsmakers are expecting plenty of offence here.
Toronto was an against-the-spread darling last year, finishing at 48-33-1 against the number, while the Hawks checked in at 41-43 ATS, including their loss in the play-in round of the postseason. Atlanta was 50-32 to the over, while Toronto was a much more balanced 42-40 to the over a season ago.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are in between a rock and a hard place as a franchise, and this season’s team reflects that. Toronto is simply too good to tank and put itself in position to move up in the draft lottery next spring. However, this is still a team that probably won’t finish among the top five seeds in the Eastern Conference come playoff time. With that in mind, it’s hard to know how the Raptors will approach this season, but we do know that they have a myriad of players who are durable and consistently available in the lineup.
Scottie Barnes is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, while Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley should continue to settle into their roles on this team. If Gradey Dick can make a leap forward in his third season, there’s potential for this team to be a pretty solid offence. Until then, it’s hard to trust the Raptors given the fact that this team has a pretty clear ceiling.
Atlanta Hawks
After a couple of seasons in NBA purgatory, Atlanta finally decided to make a run at building an Eastern Conference contender this past offseason, and it appears as if the Hawks have finally surrounded Trae Young with the pieces they need to contend in what is a weaker East this season. Atlanta brought in the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to bolster its depth and provide the roster with more firepower on offence, along with some real upside on defence (assuming Porzingis stays healthy).
The exciting young tandem of Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels are back, along with second-year player Zaccharie Risacher, who showed real flashes in his rookie season. As long as the Hawks can stay healthy, this is a team that should win 45+ games and finally avoid the play-in tournament next spring.
NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Raptors vs. Hawks?
Both teams are pretty intriguing on paper, but it’s the Hawks that are a team worth backing early on in the campaign. If Atlanta ends up being a real contender in the East, this number will look to be pretty short in a few months’ time. Look for Young and company to make an early season statement and come away with a victory in the range of 122-112.
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