The 2023-24 NBA season is set to continue on Friday night, and there will be an interesting game taking place in Toronto. The Raptors are set to host the Houston Rockets, and those two teams are both trying to figure some things out in this matchup.
Houston is coming into this game with an overall record of 23-27, but they are still trying to take the next step forward. The Rockets have currently lost three of their last four games, and they need to bounce back in a hurry.
Toronto appeared to wave the white flag at the Trade Deadline, and that could lead to some rough weeks ahead for this team. The Raptors are coming into this game at 18-33 on the year, and they are not going to be a playoff contender.
The betting odds for this game are extremely tight, but the Toronto Raptors are slim 2.5-point betting favorites in this game.
Houston Has Defensive Problem
Most teams that feature a ton of young talent struggle to get stops on the defensive end of the floor, and that is what is facing the Houston Rockets. This team has more than enough offensive talent to win games, but getting stops simply hasn’t been easy.
Alperen Sengun has come out of nowhere to lead this team with 21.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and he should have some success in this matchup. Houston will be playing without Fred Van Vleet in this game, and that will hurt their offense.
The Rockets are a team that lacks consistency, but they have the ability to beat the best teams in the league when they are playing well.
Raptors Can’t Seem to Click
Trading away Pascal Siakam was a tough blow for the Toronto Raptors as he was clearly their best player on offense. Scottie Barnes is now the leader of this team, and he is scoring over 20 points per game so far this season.
The Raptors just don’t have a ton of weapons from the perimeter, and that makes it difficult to catch up when they fall behind. Toronto is a better defensive team than Houston, but they have to find a way to score points.
Lack of motivation is something that can impact NBA teams as well, and the Raptors are going to have to find a way to get themselves going.
Rockets Roll Over Raptors
Things have not been going well for the Houston Rockets of late, but this is the perfect chance for them to get back on track. Houston has more talent than Toronto in this game, and playing on the road is not going to impact them that significantly.
Toronto just doesn’t have much talent left on their roster, and they are really going to struggle to score points the rest of the season. The Raptors just don’t have a ton to play for moving forward, and this game will get away from them.
Bet the Houston Rockets moneyline as they are going to go on the road to Toronto and pick up a big win over the Raptors.
