Raptors vs. Hawks NBA expert prediction and odds for Sunday, Jan. 28 (Bet the OVER)

The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks are both on the outside looking in for a play-in tournament spot heading into Sunday’s matchup. 

Toronto has been struggling mightily since the OG Anunoby trade, winning just two of its last eight games to fall to the No. 12 seed in the East. 

Both of these teams have dropped four straight games, but one of them will see the streak come to an end tonight. 

Atlanta is favored with Trae Young back in action after returning from a concussion on Friday, but can it pull off the win? The Hawks are currently the worst team in the NBA against the spread.

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Here’s a look at the betting odds and my favorite pick for this game:  

Raptors injury report

Hawks injury report

Toronto Raptors

RJ Barrett: Have the Raptors found something in hometown kid RJ Barrett? Since being traded by the New York Knicks, Barrett is thriving in an expanded offensive role in Toronto. In 13 games as a Raptor, the former No. 3 overall pick is averaging 21.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 55.0 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3. 

Atlanta Hawks

Dejounte Murray: Trae Young is back from a concussion, but Dejounte Murray is still playing some great basketball ahead of the trade deadline. In his last six games, Murray is averaging 25.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 40.5 percent from 3. 

These teams both are employing a “defense is optional” strategy as of late, as the Raptors are in the bottom five in the league in defensive rating in their last 10 games and the Hawks just allowed 73 points to Luka Doncic on Friday night. 

On the season, these teams are 27th (Atlanta) and 20th (Toronto) in defensive rating while playing at the No. 5 (Atlanta) and No. 15 (Toronto) paces in the NBA. 

Atlanta is one of the best OVER teams in the NBA, going 26-22 in 48 games. While Toronto is just 23-22 on the OVER, the team has put together some wild streaks, hitting five straight OVERs before then hitting six straight UNDERs ahead of this game. 

I think Atlanta speeds this game up, and the Raptors can play at pace as they’ve shown since the trade – ranking 12th in that category in their last 13 games. 

Go OVER tonight with two poor defenses in action. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.