The Toronto Raptors get set to defend home court as they host the struggling Charlotte Bobcats from Air Canada Center.

Coming into tonight, both teams are battling to get their win percentage closer to .500, with the Raptors on a good run recently and the Bobcats looking to get back to the form that saw them go 7-5 to start the season. The Bobcats 9-25 straight up and 13-21 ATS while the Raptors are 13-22 straight up and 18-14-1 ATS. When these 2 teams last met on the 21^st of November, the Bobcats notched up their 6 win of the season at home with a 1 point win at home, but since then have slumped majorly while the Raptors have turned things around with an improved last few weeks.

The Bobcats are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games and are just 4-17 ATS in their last 21 Friday games. On the upside for the Bobcats, their offense has been good and they are averaging 96 points a game, however their games totals are averaging 200, which means their while the Bobcats are putting 96 ppg, their opposition is averaging 104. It makes it pretty tough to win games when given these stats, but considering the Cats can put up winning numbers, they just need to limit the bleeding on the defensive end to keep these games close.

The Raptors have been a much better side in the last 2 or 3 weeks, and are coming off a double digit home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Toronto are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 against sides with straight up records under .400 and are 6-0 ATS when their last 6 opponents allowed more than 100 points in their previous game. They are also 9-4 ATS in their last 13 and 9-3 ATS in their last 12 at home. Toronto are looking to claw their way back into contention, and these are the games where they need to capitalize and find some form.

I thought long and hard about taking the Bobcats and the points here, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. It’s a handy number to run with, being over 3 possessions, but I like the Raptors to take this opportunity to feel like a top side and pick on one of the weaker sides in the league at home.

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