The Toronto Raptors (45-17) clash with the Atlanta Hawks (20-44) at Air Canada Centre. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, and will air on CTV Sportsnet Toronto.
Toronto opened as a 13.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 218.5 points.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Toronto Raptors Betting Prediction
In the Hawks’ last outing, they topped the Phoenix Suns, 113-112. Atlanta’s offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over Phoenix. The Hawks had a rate of 20.0 (below their season average of 21.9), while the Suns posted a mark of 11.1 (below their season average of 23.4). Dennis Schroder played a key role for Atlanta with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The Raptors defeated the Charlotte Hornets in their last outing, 103-98. Toronto’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Charlotte. The Raptors had a rate of 0.494 (below their season average of 0.539), while the Hornets posted a mark of 0.406 (below their season average of 0.503). With 18 points and 13 rebounds, Jonas Valanciunas played well for Toronto.
The high-octane offense of Toronto will go head-to-head against the bottom-tier defense of Atlanta. The Raptors rank fourth in offensive efficiency, while the Hawks are 22nd in defensive efficiency. The Raptors figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Atlanta heads into the contest with records of 20-44 straight up (SU) and 33-29-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Hawks games, with 33 unders compared to 29 overs.
Meanwhile, Toronto is 45-17 SU and 35-27 ATS. Contrary to Atlanta, Raptors games have a slight tendency to finish over the total (51.6 percent).
Taurean Prince has averaged 16.4 points and 2.6 steals over the last five games for Atlanta.
The Raptors have won all three matchups against the Hawks this season, including a 108-93 victory in their last matchup. Toronto covered as a 6.5-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 201 points, which was 13.5 points below the projected point total of 214.5 points. The Raptors had a better free throw rate (0.180 vs. 0.128) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.517 vs. 0.431). Valanciunas recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors Betting Pick
Free NBA Pick: SU Winner – Raptors, ATS Winner – Raptors, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Atlanta is 15-13-2 ATS with 17 unders and 13 overs.
At home, Toronto is 17-14 ATS with 16 unders and 15 overs.
Toronto is 22-5 when they allow under 100 points, while Atlanta is 9-4.
In games where they score more than 100 points, the Raptors are 42-10 and the Hawks are 18-25.
Toronto ranks third in steals allowed per game (7.0) while Atlanta ranks 27th (8.6).
The Raptors average 6.1 blocks per game, which ranks second in the league. The Hawks rank 25th in blocks allowed per game (5.3).
Toronto averages 23.6 assists per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. Atlanta ranks last in assists allowed per game (26.0).
The Raptors rank sixth in points in the paint per game (48.2) while the Hawks rank 28th (40.7).
Toronto ranks second in three pointers allowed per game (25.1) while Atlanta ranks 22nd (30.1).
The Raptors rank third in points off turnovers per game (18.3) while the Hawks rank 22nd in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.5).
Toronto averages 14.0 fast break points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. Atlanta ranks 23rd in fast break points allowed per game (13.0).
The Hawks average 12.4 second chance points per game, which ranks 15th in the NBA. The Raptors rank 24th in second chance points allowed per game (13.3).
Toronto ranks 17th in rebounds per game (43.5) while Atlanta ranks 25th (41.0).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Atlanta is 2-3 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
Toronto is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Hawks’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 8.2, up from 4.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Raptors have scored an average of 112.8 points per game (0.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 102.6 points per game (0.7 below their season average).
