Halftime Report
Fortunes may be turning around for the Raptors after losing four in a row. Sitting on a score of 61-57, they have looked like the better team, but there’s still two more quarters to play. They took a big hit to their ego on Friday, so a victory here would be a pleasant pick-me-up.
The Raptors came into the game with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Toronto Raptors @ Atlanta Hawks
Current Records: Toronto 16-29, Atlanta 18-27
How To Watch
- When: Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 6 p.m. ET
- Where: State Farm Arena — Atlanta, Georgia
- TV: Bally Sports – Southeast
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $17.71
What to Know
The Raptors have enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Atlanta Hawks at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at State Farm Arena. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Last Friday, Toronto suffered a bruising 127-107 defeat at the hands of Los Angeles. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Raptors in their matchups with the Clippers: they’ve now lost four in a row.
Meanwhile, the Hawks’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They fell to Dallas 148-143. The Hawks didn’t live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
The match pitted two of the league’s most dominant guards against one another in Trae Young and Luka Doncic. Doncic had a great game and shot 8-for-13 from deep and dropped a double-double on 73 points and ten rebounds. Meanwhile, Young did his best for the losing side, dropping a double-double on 30 points and 11 assists.
Toronto has been struggling recently, as they’ve lost eight of their last nine matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 16-29 record this season. As for Atlanta, their defeat dropped their record down to 18-27.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Raptors haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 12.6 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Hawks struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Raptors are hoping to beat the odds on Sunday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. This contest might not be the best time to bet them against the spread since they’ve let bettors down the last four times they’ve played.
Odds
Atlanta is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Toronto, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Hawks as a 6-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 242 points.
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Series History
Atlanta and Toronto both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Dec 15, 2023 – Atlanta 125 vs. Toronto 104
- Dec 13, 2023 – Toronto 135 vs. Atlanta 128
- Jan 14, 2023 – Atlanta 114 vs. Toronto 103
- Nov 19, 2022 – Atlanta 124 vs. Toronto 122
- Oct 31, 2022 – Toronto 139 vs. Atlanta 109
- Apr 05, 2022 – Toronto 118 vs. Atlanta 108
- Feb 26, 2022 – Atlanta 127 vs. Toronto 100
- Feb 04, 2022 – Toronto 125 vs. Atlanta 114
- Jan 31, 2022 – Toronto 106 vs. Atlanta 100
- Apr 13, 2021 – Atlanta 108 vs. Toronto 103
KVSP