The Toronto Raptors take on the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference matchup at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on 11/21/18.
After a brief breakdown where they suffered three game losing streak, The Toronto Raptors are back to their winning ways. Toronto blasted the Chicago Bulls 122-83 last November 17th and they followed that up with a close 93-91 victory against the stubborn Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
Kawhi Leonard is the main reason why Toronto has flourished this season. The Klaw has averaged 24.8 points and 8.4 rebounds this season to lead the Raptors. However, Leonard has sat all the Raptors back to back games so far this season, as a precaution. So if the trend follows, Leonard won’t be suiting up against the Hawks on Wednesday night.
The Raptors rank 4th in scoring at 116.8 points per game and they are 8th in assists at 24.9 dimes per contest. Toronto is the 8th best defensive team in the league, allowing opponents to score 108.4 points per game. Likewise, they are also 8th in rebounds at 46.9 boards per night.
The Hawks enter this game on an eight game losing streak. They have not won a game since November 3rd and have dropped 12 out of their last 13 games. In their last game, the Hawks lost 127-119 to the upstart Los Angeles Clippers. The Hawks hope that they catch a break against the East leaders Toronto Raptors who are playing back to back games and possibly without Kawhi Leonard who has sat out back to back games this season.
Rookie Trae Young leads the Hawks in scoring and assists with 16.8 points and 8.3 assists per game, respectively. But while Young has displayed flashes of brilliance, he has been inconsistent all season long. Alex Len leads Atlanta with 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
Atlanta ranks 22nd in the league in scoring at 107.4 points per game and 11th in assists with 24.4 dimes per outing. On defense, the Hawks are last in the league in scoring defense with 118.2 points per game allowed. They are also just 19th overall in rebounds with 44.3 boards per night.
The Atlanta Hawks hold a slim lead in their all-time series against the Toronto Raptors at 45-41 but the Raptors have won 9 out of their last 12 games including the last four meetings as Toronto swept Atlanta 4-0 last season. In their most recent game last March 6, 2018, the Raptors won 106-90 in Toronto.
Toronto is 2-3 SU in their last 5 games played and are 6-2 SU in 8 road games played this season. Atlanta is 0-5 SU in their last five games and are 2-5 SU in seven home games played so far this season. Head to head, the Raptors are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played and are 4-2 SU in the last six meetings in Atlanta.
Toronto is playing on back to back games and the Hawks hope they are going to catch Toronto taking a break. The Raptors have rested Kawhi Leonard in their back to back games so Atlanta is also hoping that the trend continues.
Kyle Lowry managed only 9 points and 7 assists in 32 minutes against the Magic after twisting his ankle in their previous game against the Bulls. Lowry’s health will be a factor in this game as the all-star guard is the NBA leader in assists.
If the Raptors play without Kawhi Leonard and a banged up Kyle Lowry, the Hawks may have a small window in this game. But overall, the Raptors still have plenty of firepower with Serge Ibaka, Danny Green and Fred Van Vleet. They were the trio that led the Raptors to a win over the Magic, a team that is better than Atlanta. All things considered, we’re picking the Toronto Raptors to beat the Atlanta Hawks on 11/21/18.
The Raptors are 8-8-1 ATS in their 17 games played this season and are 4-3-1 ATS in their 8 road games played so far. The Hawks are 7-10 ATS in 17 games played this campaign and are 2-5 ATS in 7 games played at home so far. Head to head, the Raptors are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against the Hawks and are 3-2 ATS in their last five meetings in Atlanta.
Toronto is playing the second of a back to back and their fourth game in six days. But between the Raptors being fatigued and the Hawks playing inconsistently this season, I’d still roll with the former. Toronto is the top team in the East and Hawks have been struggling to get wins. Even without Kawhi Leonard, Toronto has too many weapons. Prediction: Raptors -9
The over is 11-6 in Toronto’s 17 games played this season but the over and under are at an even 4-4 in their 8 road games. The over is 9-8 in Atlanta’s 17 games played this season and the total has gone over in four out of the Hawks’ seven home games played so far. Head to head, the under is 6-4 in their last 10 meetings and the under is 4-1 in their last five encounters in Atlanta.
The Raptors didn’t slow down without Kawhi against Chicago. In fact they won that game by 39 points. The over is 9-2 in the Raptors’ last 11 games against the East and 7-3 in their last 10 versus the Southeast Division. The total has gone over in 5 out of the Hawks last 6 games against teams with a winning record of above .600. Prediction: Over 225
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
