Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 23/02/2024, 15:02  by Joseph King in NBA Prediction

An Eastern Conference battle in the NBA sees the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks hosting the 12th-placed Toronto Raptors at the State Farm Arena on Friday night. The Hawks have a record of 24-31 on the season, giving them a three game lead over the 11th-place Nets for the final spot in the play-in tournament for an opportunity to make the playoffs. It is looking less and less likely that Atlanta will secure a top-eight finish as they currently trail the Heat by six games, although there is still a good chunk of the season remaining. The hosts were unable to mark their return from the All-Star break with a win as they fell 122-99 to the lowly Hornets on the road last night. They’ll now return to their home court where they’ve posted a 13-15 record on the season.

The Raptors experienced a much more positive return to play as they were able to register a dominant 122-93 home win over the Brooklyn Nets last night. The result moves the Raptors to 20-36 on the season and now puts them just 1.5 games behind Brooklyn for 11th-place. A win here is crucial if Toronto is to have any chance of stealing the final play-in tournament spot away from Atlanta, who they currently trail by 4.5 games. The Raptors are in a tough spot here as they’ve managed to post just an 8-20 record on the road this season. Additionally, both Toronto and Atlanta will be playing on the second leg of back-to-backs. However, it’s the Raptors who have struggled the most in this situation, winning just two of their 10 games on no rest compared to the Hawks who have won four of 10.