Hawks vs Raptors Betting Odds: Toronto Not Afraid of ‘Hotlanta’
Raptors Try to Freeze Hawks’ Red-Hot Young on Halloween
The Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors aim for a “treat” of a bounce-back win as they attempt to out-“trick” each other this Halloween. The Hawks vs Raptors betting odds slightly favor the home team, Toronto, which has also won three of its last four games against Atlanta. The Hawks’ Trae Young is coming off a 42-point performance in a losing effort against Milwaukee as he looks to continue haunting opposing teams.
Hawks vs Raptors Game Info
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Day/Time:
Young Has Been League’s Boogeyman
Trae Young is the type of player fans and players alike love to have on their team but hate to play against. The two-time All-Star has been a terror every time he steps on the court whether he’s scoring, dishing the ball, or just finding ways to create offense for his team. Against Milwaukee, Young shredded the Bucks’ vaunted defense for 42 points while hitting 5-of-10 from deep.
Yes, the Bucks did outlast Atlanta thanks to their own superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s herculean efforts. But for the Hawks, seeing Young drop 40+ while shooting over 45 percent from the field is a welcome sight. Young shot just 34.8 percent from the field in his first four games. Yet he still managed to put up 27.8 points per outing. We can credit his ability to go to the line, as he’s averaged nine-made free throws per evening. It is a trait Hawks coach Nate McMillan wishes for the team.
“We’ve got to be more aggressive getting to the basket,” McMillan said at the Hawks-Bucks post-game press conference. “Tonight I thought we settled a lot for the jump shot and the deep ball.”
Young is all of that on offense and now playing beside Dejounte Murray has only relieved some pressure off him. The former Spur is fitting in nicely with Atlanta averaging 20 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.5 rebounds. He’s also swiping the ball 2.3 times a game.
Together, Young and Murray account for around 86.5 points of Atlanta’s 117.2 each game. Most of the rest of the team can focus on the other side of the ball. This formula has thus far made Atlanta a decent team even if they are just 2-3-1 against the spread (ATS) this season. They’ll look to improve by covering the Hawks vs Raptors betting odds.
Raptors Continue Brave Scary Schedule
The Raptors’ six games thus far have not been for the faint of heart. Toronto has played Philadelphia and Miami twice each, Brooklyn, and Cleveland. Three of these four teams are expected to be NBA Championship contenders while Cleveland has improved significantly with the addition of Donovan Mitchell. Toronto is 3-3 and 4-2 ATS, which says something.
Toronto continues to exceed expectations, even past the NBA standings. The Toronto Raptors spread tends to underestimate this team a bit hence why they went 48-39-1 ATS (55.2 percent) last season, which was the seventh-best record. But as a home team, that falls to a 50 percent cover rate. Bettors should scrutinize the Hawks vs Raptors betting odds even if Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last five games hosting Atlanta.
Pascal Siakam has picked up where he left off last season: 25.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists while shooting 48.7 percent from the field. He could improve on his 69.6 free-throw percentage but that’s nitpicking what appears to be another All-NBA type of year for the 28-year-old.
On the debut episode of ‘Strictly Hoops’ with C.J. Miles,the former Raptors player remarked on Siakam’s newfound “swagger”:
“Like, you see it in everything. Not that he wasn’t confident before, but he’s – it’s, like, falling off of him. Like, I got a little bit to spare. I can hand you some if you need it type thing. And he’s just sharp. Like, he feels you could tell he feels comfortable in every situation that’s being thrown at him, how he’s being guarded. It’s going to have to be doubles thrown at him. Like, it’s going to have to be.”
Siakam will need to continue playing at this high level as Toronto plays Atlanta and then Dallas this Friday.
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