Raptors Travels to Charlotte to Face the Hornets Friday Night

The Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets are both fighting for position in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors, currently seventh in the conference, have a record of 32-25.

They’ll likely have Fred VanVleet back in time for this game as well. VanVleet will have his hands full having to guard LaMelo Ball. The Raptors will need a team effort to take down the Hornets. 

The Charlotte Hornets are a few games behind the Toronto Raptors in the conference. A win here, and they could see themselves gain some ground.

The NBA Finals are quickly approaching; each win will be vital to their positioning. Charlotte went into the All-Star break on a three-game losing streak. They’ll hope to get their season back on track when they face Toronto Raptors.

Game Preview: Toronto Raptors at Charlotte Hornets February 25th

The Raptors’ defense is going to have trouble dealing with the Hornets scoring. On average, the Charlotte Hornets put up 113.82 points per game, ranking first in the NBA.

The good news for the Raptors is that Charlotte’s scoring hasn’t equated to wins in the last few games. The Raptors defense is among the top ten in the NBA. They’ll use this to get an advantage on Friday.

Charlotte’s going to need more than just scoring to take down the Raptors. They’ll need to find a way to limit the Raptors’ efficiency from beyond the arc.

The Raptors shoot nearly 36% from the three-point line; Charlotte will need to limit the open looks. Over their last ten games, the Hornets have lost six times to the Raptors. Superior defensive play will help them even out the records.

Toronto Raptors at Charlotte Hornets Betting Prediction

These teams are quite evenly matched and have nearly identical records. The Raptors have a slight edge with a record of 32-25 on the season.

They’ve also performed better against the spread this season with a record of 33-23-1. However, the Hornets aren’t far behind with a record of 32-26-2. Taking this into consideration makes this a rather tough game to call. 

When you look at how the Hornets have performed against the Raptors, the picture becomes clearer. Sure, they’re 4-6 against the Hornets in the last ten meetings; however, they’re 7-3 ATS in those games.

It seems that although they might not win the game, the Hornets have been covering against Toronto. Our big problem is that Charlotte is 0-7 in the last seven home games.

The points spread will be the most important factor here. If it’s close, say the Raptors are four-point favorites, take the Raptors. However, if the spread goes over five points, take the Hornets.

You should take the over in this game since 11 of the last 16 games between these two have gone over. Our prediction is that the Toronto Raptors cover and the total goes over. 

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* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.