I was correct on my last Raptors free betting pick as the Celtics (+2) notched a 95-93 victory at home. I am now 32-31 in Raptors free betting picks. Tonight the 48-33 Toronto Raptors host the 33-48 Charlotte Hornets.
(33-48) Charlotte Hornets @ (48-33) Toronto Raptors
Probable starting line-ups:
Charlotte – PG – Kemba Walker SG – Gerald Henderson C – Bismack Biyombo SF – Jeff Taylor PF – Marvin Williams
Toronto – PG – Kyle Lowry SG – Greivis Vasquez C – Jonas Valanciunas SF – Terrence Ross PF – Tyler Hansbrough
Stats Leaders:
Charlotte – PPG – Kemba Walker 17.3 RPG – Al Jefferson 8.4 APG – Kemba Walker 5.1
Toronto – PPG – DeMar DeRozan 20.1 RPG – Jonas Valanciunas 8.7 APG – Kyle Lowry 6.8
Team Scoring: (with league ranking in parentheses)
Charlotte – PF – 94.2 (28th) PA – 97.4 (8th)
Toronto – PF – 104.1 (4th) PA – 101.1 (21st)
Overview:
The Charlotte Hornets have lost 5 straight games. On Monday they were defeated 100-90 at home versus the Houston Rockets. Backup point guard Brian Roberts led the team in scoring with 23 points on 8 of 19 shooting in 28 minutes off the bench. He was 5 of 12 from the 3 point line. He also had 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Small forward Jeff Taylor netted 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting in 30 minutes. Shooting guard Troy Daniels contributed with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting in 28 minutes. Power forward Marvin Williams chipped in with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was 5 of 7 from the field in 26 minutes. Center Bismack Biyombo finished with 9 points and 13 rebounds. He was 3 of 4 from the field and 3 of 6 from the foul line in 30 minutes. The team shot 41% from the field, 40.6% from the 3 point line (13-32), and 52.9% from the free throw line (9-17). The team was out-rebounded 49-43 in the contest. The Hornets and Rockets were tied at the half. Charlotte is 14-26 on the road this season. The Hornets’ tumble down the stretch cost them a chance at the playoffs this season.
The Toronto Raptors had their 3 game winning streak halted with a 95-93 loss at Boston. Point guard Kyle Lowry and backup shooting guard Louis Williams each had 16 points in the game. Lowry was 6 of 20 from the field in 35 minutes. He also had 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Williams was 3 of 13 from the field and 10 of 11 from the free throw line in 31 minutes. He also had 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Small forward Terrence Ross netted 12 points on 5 of 13 shooting in 28 minutes. Shooting guard/point guard Greivis Vasquez contributed with 11 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. He was 4 of 7 from the field in 32 minutes. Center Jonas Valanciunas finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds. He was 4 of 8 from the field in 29 minutes. Power forwards James Johnson and Patrick Patterson each chipped in with 10 points. The team shot 43.8% from the field, 37.5% from the 3 point line (9-24), and 70% from the free throw line (14-20). The team was out-rebounded 50-43. The Raptors were out-scored 27-17 in the 3rd quarter. Toronto is 26-14 at home this season. The Raptors are currently the 4th seed in the East, they’ll need to win and have a loss by the Bulls tonight to grab the 3rd seed.
Charlotte leads the season 2-1 versus Toronto. On January 8th the Hornets notched a 103-95 road win, on March 6th the Hornets prevailed 103-94 at home, and on April 8th the Raptors cruised to a 92-74 victory on the road. Tonight is the final meeting of the season between the 2 teams.
Prediction:
This game means nothing for the Hornets and that’s even more obvious just looking at their projected starting lineup. I can’t tell if the Raptors want to face the Wizards or Bucks in the 1st round, last night some of their play made it seem a little bit like they were gunning for the 4th seed to face the Wizards. I would understand it though because they’ve had more success versus the Wizards this season. Take the Raptors -10 (1.90) (Bet365)
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