Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets (18-18) continue to satisfy their critics and are currently tied for 6th place in the Eastern Conference standings among the preseason underdogs. The signing of Hayward to a high value contract and the drafting of Ball in the pre-season were questionable, but the team has responded to these questions with a great performance. Both Hayward and Ball have become team leaders, and T. Rozier, who stayed with the team from last season, is showing more and more promise this season.

Indeed, the Charlotte Hornets are slowly evolving from being one of the worst teams in the league to a serious contender for a higher playoff spot. The Hornets have 5 wins in their last 6 home games. Although the defeated teams did not include any of the teams currently in 1st-8th place in the conferences, all teams in this league need to be played against and there are no easy wins.

The key to the Hornets' victories has been their excellent team offense, which has led to an average of just over 112 points in the Hornets' last 10 home games. This team is not known for its good defence, but in the regular season you can also win with better offence, as many NBA teams have proved over the years. With the Raptors missing several key players tonight, the Hornets should have an easier time starting, so it would not be surprising to see an impressive performance from one of the team's leaders.

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors (17-20) have looked worse every season since Leonard's departure and it wouldn't be surprising to see a rebuilding team in the near future. There is no talk of a possible Lowry trade scenario, especially as VanVleet has looked much more stable and confident this season than the former team leader and league veteran. The Toronto Raptors have been on a roll this season, from a poor start to a good streak and an even win/loss ratio, but recently the team has fallen back into a hole. In the last 6 games played, the Raptors have suffered 5 losses, including a 24-point defeat to the Detroit Pistons.

Not only that, but the numbers from the last few games don't bode well for Toronto in this game, but the Raptors are plagued by injury problems. It is already clear that OG Anunoby, P. McCaw, P. Siakam and F. VanVleet will not be available for tonight's game. Realistically, the team will play tonight without 3 players who normally play over 30 minutes, of which both Siakam and VanVleet are considered to be among the team leaders.

Tonight, Toronto will be led by Lowry and Powell, who has been in good form lately, but it's a big question mark whether they will be enough to get the win in Charlotte.

Forecast

The situation of both teams is quite clear - one team will go into the match "on a good note", while the other team is completely unable to find its game and is plagued by injuries. Of course, it is not for nothing that the NBA is known as "Where amazing happens", but in this game the Charlotte Hornets are the clear favourites to win. The bookmakers may be showing a little too much respect to the Raptors with the odds they are offering, as the Hornets deserve to be more than a 2.5 point favourite.