The Toronto Raptors will get a chance to extend their road winning streak in New Orleans to five games when they visit the Pelicans on Friday as 2.5-point favourites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto posted a narrow 124-120 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night to remain undefeated on home hardwood this season. However, the team will be searching for just its second road win of the season when it kicks off a five-game Western swing with Friday night’s Raptors vs. Pelicans betting matchup at Smoothie King Center.
The Raptors have fallen to defeat in two recent road dates with Eastern rivals, following up an early-season loss in Boston with a disappointing 115-105 defeat last weekend in Milwaukee while set as 6.5-point underdogs. Those defeats extend a shaky run for the club on the road that dates back to late last season. Toronto has compiled a 6-5 record, both straight up and against the spread, over its past 11 regular-season dates away from Scotiabank Arena.
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The team has fared far better in regular season road outings when set as betting favourites, going 9-3 SU in their past 12 such outings, and covering in six of eight. The Raptors have also dominated in recent trips to the Big Easy, posting SU wins in 13 of 17 visits since January 2004, and piling up a 15-2 ATS record during that stretch, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
The Pelicans return home looking for answers after dropping a 135-125 decision in Brooklyn as 3.5-point underdogs on Monday, dumping their SU record to 1-6. New Orleans’ slow start includes a 130-122 opening night loss in Toronto as a 6.5-point underdog, and outright losses on home court to Dallas and Golden State, both while pegged as betting favourites.
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New Orleans picked up its lone win of the season in its last home contest, a decisive 122-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets as a 4-point underdog. However, the Pelicans have fallen to defeat by double-digit margins in each of their past three losses, including two home contests.
Overall, the Pelicans have turned in awful results on home court, with their win over Denver marking just their second SU victory in 15 home games since late February. The team has also surrendered 121.6 points per game during that stretch, contributing to a dismal 4-11 ATS run. However, bettors have been regularly rewarded when taking the OVER, which has prevailed in each of New Orleans’ three home dates this season, and in nine of their past 13.
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