Hawks vs. Raptors prediction and odds for Friday, Dec. 15 (Back Toronto at home)
By Jovan Alford
The Toronto Raptors will look to start a new winning streak tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. The Raptors snapped their four-game losing streak with a 135-128 win over the Hawks on Wednesday night.
Toronto had all five starters in double figures, including Pascal Siakam, who scored a team-high 33 points. The Raptors are a 1.5-point favorite tonight over the Hawks, who have lost a season-high five consecutive games.
Can Toronto pick up another win over Atlanta? Or will Trae Young help Atlanta get back on track and snap their losing streak?
Here are the odds and our best bet for Atlanta-Toronto:
If you want to bet on tonight's game, check out FanDuel Sportsbook, where new users can get $150 in bonus bets if their team wins when they bet $5 on any moneyline.
Hawks vs. Raptors odds, spread and total
Hawks vs. Raptors how to watch
- Date: Friday, Dec. 15
- Game Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Scotiabank Arena
- How to Watch (TV): TSN, Bally Sports SE-ATL
- Hawks Record: 9-14
- Raptors Record: 10-14
Hawks vs. Raptors injury reports
Atlanta Hawks injury report
- Kobe Bufkin – Out
- AJ Griffin – Out
- Mouhamed Gueye – Out
- De’Andre Hunter – Questionable
- Jalen Johnson – Out
Toronto Raptors injury report
- Christian Koloko – Out
Hawks vs. Raptors key players to watch
Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young: The 25-year-old Young is coming off an outstanding performance against Toronto on Wednesday night. The star point guard had 35 points (13-27 FG, 4-9 3pt), 17 assists, and four rebounds in a seven-point loss. Young has scored 30-plus points in four out of his last five games.
Toronto Raptors
Pascal Siakam: The veteran power forward has been mentioned in trade rumors this season, as he’s in the last year of his deal. Siakam is averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game this season. The 29-year-old was in his bag on Wednesday night against the Hawks, scoring 33 points on an efficient 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from deep.
He also added seven rebounds and seven assists. If he continues to play at this level, the Raptors will either decide to re-sign him to a long-term deal, or a contender will be getting a game-changer at the trade deadline.
Hawks vs. Raptors prediction and pick
The Hawks are looking to get their revenge on the Raptors after dropping a winnable game on Wednesday night. Atlanta had a two-point lead at the half but allowed Toronto to outscore them by nine points in the second half.
The Hawks’ perimeter struggled as they allowed the Raptors to shoot 57.5% from the field and 52.9% from beyond the arc. Toronto also dominated Atlanta in fast break points (26-12). All those things are a recipe for disaster. The Hawks have dropped five straight games and are 0-5 against the spread.
It doesn’t matter what Young does on the offense if the Hawks allow 120-plus points on the other end. Meanwhile, the Raptors don’t do anything special on offense or defense. But they have three players in Siakama, Scottie Barnes, and OG Anunoby, who can pose problems on offense and defense.
The Raptors are 4-4 against the spread as a home favorite and 2-1 ATS when the spread was between -3.5 to -1. Therefore, I’ll take Toronto to cover the short number, as I can’t trust Atlanta’s defense to get a stop. Young and Co. will cover points, but they don’t have the impact perimeter defenders that the Raptors do.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.