Toronto Raptors @ Charlotte Hornets - October 30, 2024

Alright, folks! It’s game day, and I can feel the excitement buzzing through the city like a live wire. Tonight, our Toronto Raptors are heading down to Charlotte to take on the Hornets at Spectrum Center. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Can the Raptors pull off a win?” Well, let me tell you why I’m feeling optimistic about this matchup.

First off, let’s talk about the numbers. The oddsmakers have set the Hornets as 5.5-point favorites, but don’t let that fool you! The Raptors may be sitting at 1-3 straight up (SU), but they’ve been covering spreads like it’s their job—3-1 against the spread (ATS) so far this season. And if there’s one thing we know about our boys in red and white, it’s that they thrive when underestimated.

Now, looking at Charlotte’s recent performance, they just took a hit against Miami with a 114-106 loss at home. They couldn’t cover that +6 spread either. Meanwhile, Toronto lost a nail-biter to Denver in their last outing—127-125—but hey, they covered as underdogs! That shows resilience and grit; two things we love to see from our team.

When it comes to offense, both teams have had their struggles early in the season. The Hornets are averaging 112 points per game with a shooting percentage of around 42.3%. Not exactly lighting it up from beyond the arc either with just over 37% from three-point land. On the flip side, our Raptors are putting up about 107 points per game with a slightly better field goal percentage of around 44.5%. Sure, we’re not hitting threes like Steph Curry out there (33% from deep), but we’ve got something special brewing.

Defensively is where I think Toronto has an edge tonight. While Charlotte grabs more rebounds on average (51.7), they also commit over 24 fouls per game and lose more turnovers than they create steals (6.3). Our Raptors might not be perfect—they commit around 26 fouls and lose about 22 turnovers—but those steals? We’re averaging over 9 per game! That defensive hustle could be key in turning possessions into points.

So what can we expect tonight? I’m predicting that our Raptors will rise to the occasion and snag a victory against Charlotte! With their ability to cover spreads even when facing tough odds and their knack for playing hard-fought games, I believe they’ll come out on top tonight.

As for that Over/Under line set at 225.5? Given both teams’ recent trends towards lower scoring games—especially after seeing how close Toronto’s last match was—I’m leaning towards an UNDER outcome here.

In summary: Raptors win outright; they cover that spread; and keep your eyes peeled for an UNDER total score tonight! Let’s go Raps! Time to bleed those colors proudly!