Pelicans vs. Raptors Prediction
The reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors will celebrate their 2019 NBA title tonight as they kick off the season at home versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Can Toronto cover the spread as the favorites?
Game Snapshot
501 New Orleans Pelicans at 502 Toronto Raptors
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Scotiabank Arena at 8:05PM ET
TV: TNT
Take a look at the latest line movement at our NBA Live Odds Page.
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, the Raptors are listed as a 6.5-point favorite to win on the spread line. The total is set at 228.5 points. As of Tuesday evening, 62 percent of public bets are being placed on host Toronto. Check out our NBA Public Betting Page for the latest updates.
Pelicans begin season without Williamson
New Orleans opens its season without No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, who is going to miss approximately 6-to-8 weeks with a knee injury. The Pelicans as a whole have a new look with the trade of Anthony Davis to the Lakers bringing in point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Brandon Ingram and shooting guard Jason Hart. New Orleans also returns talented two-way guard Jrue Holiday, who will be looked at to help out in a variety of areas and will often lead New Orleans in scoring while also defending the opponent’s top guard. Derrick Favors comes over from Utah in free agency and will provide toughness inside. New Orleans is not expected to compete for a playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference but could ruffle some feathers along the way and make a charge if all the pieces fall into place. But with Williamson already on the shelf, that is likely too much to ask.
Raptors adjust to life after Leonard
Toronto won the NBA championship this past summer due to a number of reasons, but no single reason was nearly as important as Kawhi Leonard. With Leonard having signed with the LA Clippers in free agency, the next step is to figure out how to stay among the top teams in the NBA and specifically the Western Conference. The Raptors did well in extending 6-foot-9 Pascal Siakam to a long-term contract after he was the NBA’s Most Improved Player a season ago. They also still have veteran point guard Kyle Lowry and the younger but very effective Fred Van Vleet to do the ball-handling. Inside, veteran center Marc Gasol and power forward Serge Ibaka are still around to do the dirty work. Toronto is very likely to be among the top half of the Eastern Conference this season, but asking for a repeat is probably way too much without Leonard.
NBA Betting Trends
New Orleans
The Pelicans are 0-6 ATS in their last six games versus the Eastern Conference. New Orleans is 4-12 ATS in its its last 16 games overall.
Toronto
The Raptors are 5-0 ATS in their last five Tuesday games. Toronto is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six home games versus the Pelicans.
Prediction:
For one thing, Toronto is still a very good team even without Leonard. They have a veteran core and I’m very interested to see Siakam become even better this season. Plus, the Raptors are celebrating the title. The fans will be rocking and with New Orleans down a key piece, I like Toronto to roll in this spot.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: TORONTO RAPTORS -6.5