The Raptors are coming off a win and will take that momentum into their rematch with the Hornets. Terry Rozier was a bright spot for the Hornets, and our NBA choices are based on the assumption that he would continue his hot shooting from long.

The Toronto Raptors have won two games in a row, but they still haven’t solved the problems that have dogged them for the past month. As luck would have it, they’ll be hosting LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets for the second straight game, and that’s a team with even more issues.

On Tuesday night, despite being 8-point home underdogs to Charlotte, Toronto came out on top in a thrilling 132-120 victory.

It’s no surprise that the bookies have made them 8-point favorites in the rematch, but the real questions are whether or not they can repeat as spread-covering favorites and whether or not they can effectively defend against the other team’s shooters.

In this NBA betting preview, I analyze the matchup between the Hornets and the Raptors, two teams from the Eastern Conference, and offer my best bet for the game.

Predictions for the Hornets vs. the Raptors

Last time out, Toronto defeated the Hornets, but the Raptors still had issues, allowing Charlotte to shoot 55% from the floor and 43% from beyond the arc. Ineffectiveness against the shot has contributed to Toronto’s 4-12 straight-up record over its previous 16.

When you consider how highly this team’s defense was regarded at the start of the season, this is a startling development. The Raptors’ defense has been awful over their last 16 games, dropping them to 28th in the league in opponent field goal % and 26th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.

We took advantage of this on Tuesday by betting on Hornets shooting guard Terry Rozier to go Over 2.5 made 3-pointers, and he delivered, going 5-for-9 from deep.

Rozier has found his shooting rhythm, whereas “Scary Terry” has had a rough year from deep, making only 32.4% of his 3-point tries.

Over his last five games, he has averaged 9.6 threes per game, and he has made four or more in each of those games (for a 39.6% success rate). In the second meeting, where Rozier is heavily favored at about even money, we return to familiar territory.

Expert predictions for the Hornets and Raptors games

The opening line for this Eastern Conference clash had Toronto as 7.5-point home favorites, but the betting quickly pushed the line to Raptors -8. Although they were able to cover the same number on Tuesday night thanks to a strong fourth quarter, I am still not confident in backing them against the spread here.

This is due to the fact that they continued to let the Hornets play their game despite the situation. Still having trouble defending the three-point line, Toronto allowed Charlotte to shoot 55% from the field and score 120 points in a setback.

While the Raptors’ offense flourished against a porous Hornets defense, they still rank only 19th in offensive rating and 29th in effective field goal percentage.

So, even against favorable opposition, Toronto’s offense may sputter. Even though the Raptors covered the same line just two days earlier, against the same opponent, this squad is still too erratic to back at such a large number. I’m not going to risk covering the spread in this game.

The Over/Under for the Hornets and the Raptors

Once again, the total for this rematch opened at 231, and while betting activity pushed that number down to 229 the first time around, it has since held stable. That’s mainly due to the fact that both teams blew past the 20-point mark.

Despite my preference for the Under, the Raptors’ defensive issues have made me rethink my position.

The Hornets’ offense isn’t outstanding, but they are very fast and shoot a lot of threes, placing them in the top 10 in the NBA. Their scoring average has increased to 117 over the last 10 games.

Oh, and Charlotte isn’t a very good defensive squad, either, as they allow 118.5 points per game, good for 28th in the league.

Following Tuesday night’s dominance by the Raptors, I’m leaning toward the Over.

Betting pattern to keep an eye on: Hornets vs. Raptors

Raptors are 10-4-1 in their last 15 games against a club with a losing straight up record, and the Over is 19-8 in the Hornets’ previous 27 games on the road. Learn more about the NBA betting lines for the Hornets and the Raptors.