Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 14/12/2023, 18:37  by Joseph King | Modified on 14/12/2023 at 22:21 in NBA Predictions

Friday in the NBA Eastern Conference sees the 10th-place Toronto Raptors hosting the 11th-placed Atlanta Hawks. This is the second time these two teams will meet in the last three nights at the Scotiabank Arena in this home and home doubleheader. Toronto ran out 135-128 winners on Wednesday thanks to 33 points from Pascal Siakam and a 27 point, 10 rebound performance from Scottie Barnes. It put an end to a four game losing streak for the Raptors and kicked off their four game home stand on the right foot. Another win for Toronto in this game will be only the third time that they have managed to win back-to-back games this season. An ugly stretch of six defeats in their last eight overall has dropped the hosts’ record to 10-14 on the year.

It hasn’t been the best of starts for Atlanta with roughly a quarter of the NBA regular season already in the books. The Hawks snuck into the playoffs last season with a .500 record but haven’t been able to improve on that mark in the current campaign. The loss to Toronto in their last game means that Atlanta now sits at 9-14 on the year, placing them 11th in the conference. The visitors are in desperate need of a victory as they have now gone five games without a win, the fourth-longest active losing streak in the NBA. The Hawks have one of the NBA’s best offenses but their inability to get consistent defensive stops sees them struggling to put teams away. This has been on full display in their last eight games where they have given up an average of 126.4 points en route to a 1-7 record.