The Toronto Raptors may not have Kawhi Leonard, but they still have the remaining core of a championship roster. They host a New Orleans Pelicans squad with an overhauled lineup, but with super-rookie Zion Williamson injured, the Raptors still have enough talent to be a strong Sportsbook night ATS play.
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Toronto Raptors (Matchup Report)
- Date/Time: October 22, 8 p.m. ET
- TV Coverage: TNT
- Sportsbook Odds: Toronto -6.5 | O/U 231.5 (Line History)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Raptors opened as 6.5-point favorites, as they still have the vast majority of their championship roster intact, while the Pelicans have a ton of new pieces but are missing their star. New Orleans will be a more offensive team (and weaker defensively), while the Raptors are without their best defender from last season, so the total opened at a robust 231.5.
New Orleans News & Notes
It was a big offseason for the New Orleans Pelicans, one which saw them trade the face of the franchise and drastically alter the direction of the organization.
The Pelicans finally ended their dance with malcontent superstar Anthony Davis, trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers for former second overall picks Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, plus guard Josh Hart and draft picks. They signed JJ Redick as a free agent and traded for versatile forward Derrick Favors, while turning their picks into Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
The big haul, however, was New Orleans landing the first overall pick in the draft and taking Zion Williamson, arguably the most hyped rookie since LeBron James. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, they’ll have to wait on the debut of Williamson, as they announced Monday that he will miss six to eight weeks following right knee surgery.
The Pelicans are a young, exciting team with a lot of promising pieces on the roster. There will be growing pains, and it starts on Sportsbook night facing the defending NBA champions, against whom they are 5-13-1 ATS in their last 19 matchups.
Toronto News & Notes
The defending NBA champions didn’t have a busy offseason, but it certainly was interesting.
Kawhi Leonard, the superstar who powered Toronto’s title run, departed during free agency for the Los Angeles Clippers. Following his loss, the Raptors didn’t make any splashy moves — they signed some depth, athletic wings — and instead chose to double down on what remains of their championship roster.
The Raptors still boast veterans Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka, plus they get OG Anunoby back healthy. But the key for the Raptors’ season is budding superstar Pascal Siakam.
He had a breakout campaign last year, averaging 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He was rewarded with a four-year max extension last week, as Toronto has anointed him the new face of the franchise.
The Raptors will want to kick the season off with some excitement. The OVER has hit in six of Toronto’s last seven games against New Orleans, so fans should expect just that.
Betting Pick: Raptors -7
New Orleans is figuring out how to fit together all these young pieces, with their best piece injured, while Toronto still has the majority of a championship core. I’ll take the Raptors to cover at home.
- Toronto is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games at home.
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Toronto’s last 11 games vs the Southwest Division.
- New Orleans is 0-7 SU in its last 7 games vs the Atlantic Division.
