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The Toronto Raptors (3-8) are vying for their second-straight win when they play the Charlotte Hornets (6-7) on the Saturday night. These two teams just played each other on Thursday night, where the Raptors escaped with a 111-108 victory down in Tampa Bay.
In that game, Raptors forward Chris Boucher led all scorers with 25 points (8-12 FG, 2-4 3pt) and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench. He was also one of six Toronto players, who scored in double figures. Fred VanVleet was second behind Boucher in scoring with 17 points and eight assists.
As for the Hornets, veteran point guard Terry Rozier led the way with 22 points (10-16 FG, 2-4 3pt), five assists, and three rebounds. He was one of two starters for Charlotte, who 20 points on more in the three-point loss. Second-year forward P.J. Washington was the other, with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Nevertheless, what can we expect from these two teams in the second game of this two-game series? And who will be step up once again to lift their team to victory? To answer those questions and more, here is our pick against the spread and a player prop you need to pay attention too. Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Toronto Raptors, 7:00 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Hornets +7
The Hornets will be trying to snap their two-game losing skid, after winning three-straight games last week. In those three wins, Charlotte has won by an average of 12.3 points. But in their last two losses, the Hornets has lost by an average of seven points. However, they have been great against the spread with a record of 4-1 over that span of time.
Meanwhile, Toronto has been hit or miss against the spread, which is almost a microcosm of their season thus far. In the Raptors’ last five games, they have a record of 2-3 ATS. Their two wins came as 1 point favorites over the Sacramento Kings and 4.5 point favorites against the Portland Trail Blazers.
If I had to chose, I’d go with the Hornets to cover, despite not having Gordon Hayward who is currently day-to-day with a hip injury. This Charlotte team is showing that they can score, while this Raptors’ team is having trouble defending.
Best Raptors player prop: Pascal Siakam to record double-double (+250)
After only recording 15 points and seven rebounds on Thursday night, we should expect a better performance from Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. The 26-year-old has had a rough few games, which included a couple of missed game winners, which has summed up the Raptors’ season.
But before Thursday night, Siakam was coming off of a triple-double performance against the Portland Trail Blazers (22 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists). In the previous game versus Golden State, he had 25 points and 11 rebounds. Let’s not forget that the Hornets don’t have the most overwhelming front court either between Bismack Biyombo and P.J. Washington.
Best Hornets player prop: Devonte’ Graham (O6.5 assists +100)
Usually, when the Hornets are in action I like playing P.J. Washington over 1.5 three-pointers made prop. But we are going to stay from that and go with a good play of Devonte’ Graham over assists. The 25-year-old guard hasn’t been scoring and shooting the ball like he was last season.
However, he’s doing a great job of creating for others, averaging 6.4 assists per game. On Thursday night, Graham was below his season average with only four assists. But he’s went over 6.5 assists in eight games this season for the Hornets. When you have Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, and LaMelo Ball flanking you on the perimeter, getting assists is quite an easy feat.
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