The new NBA season is upon us, and for most teams, it means hope. Both the Toronto Raptors and the Atlanta Hawks have playoff dreams in a wide-open Eastern Conference this season. New faces were brought in to turn these teams into winners, and now we get our first look at them.
The Hawks are 5.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re priced at -218 on the moneyline, while the Raptors are +180 road underdogs. The total for this game is set at 235.5 points. Let’s get into my preview, prediction and pick for this Raptors vs. Hawks game.
Raptors vs. Hawks prediction, preview
No team did more to improve its standing in the league during this offseason than the Hawks. After a brutal play-in exit last season, moves had to be made to maximize Trae Young and the talent around him. Atlanta went out and got Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to shore up the rotation. With a healthy season from Jalen Johnson and further growth from Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher, this could be a dangerous team in the East.
The Toronto Raptors have a few upgrades of their own to show off. Even though last season was rough, they capitalized on the chance to get Brandon Ingram for pennies on the dollar. Now he’s slated to make his regular-season debut for Toronto in its new look squad. Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl is an intriguing starting five that could make some noise in the playoff race.
Raptors vs. Hawks pick, best bet
I understand why the total is so high. Atlanta loves to play with pace and typically doesn’t bring a lot of defense. But with a couple of extra defenders, coach Quin Snyder doesn’t have to press the turbo button to win games. Plus, this Toronto defense was one of the best in the league in the second half of last season. I think this total came in too high, and it’s going to be a lower-scoring game than expected.
