One night after giving the Oklahoma City Thunder a serious run for their money, the Toronto Raptors are back in action on Monday night against the Pelicans in New Orleans as double-digit underdogs.
The Raptors forced a pair of overtime periods against one of the top teams in the Western Conference on Sunday, but eventually succumbed to a 135-127 loss to the Thunder despite leading the game by 23 points at one point in the third quarter. The team has lost seven of its last eight contests.
Bet on Raptors vs. Pelicans
TOR +11.5
NO -11.5
New Orleans, meanwhile, is back home on Monday after going 2-2 on a four-game road trip. The Pelicans edged the San Antonio Spurs 114-113 on Friday and are looking to extend their winning streak to three games.
Let’s dive into bet365‘s odds for the contest:
Raptors vs. Pelicans odds
| Raptors Moneyline Odds | +450 |
| Pelicans Moneyline Odds | -600 |
| Over/Under | 230.5 points (over -110, under -110) |
| Spread | Pelicans -11.5 (-110) |
| Time/Date | Feb. 5, 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: SN1 Stream: NBA League Pass (How to watch the NBA in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Raptors (17-32 SU, 24-25 ATS, 26-23 o/u)
The Raptors are finally healthy again and they proved Sunday night that they can hang with the best teams in the NBA when at full strength.
RJ Barrett returned to action after missing a handful of games with a knee injury. The Canadian put up a team-high 23 points in a whopping 43 minutes of action, so you have to wonder if his minutes will be limited on Monday after such a heavy workload in his return from injury the night before. With the Raptors well out of playoff contention, there’s no reason to put Barrett’s health at risk.
Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl also returned from injury last Wednesday against the Rockets and helped the team to a 110-99 victory, the Raptors’ first win since Jan. 23. Having all three starters back in action is a shot in the arm for the rebuilding Raptors, who should be very busy leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
Gary Trent Jr., Bruce Brown, Thaddeus Young, and Dennis Schroder are all candidates that could be dealt prior to the deadline, so bettors will want to monitor any potential roster moves leading up to the tip. It’s not uncommon this time of year for key players to be scratched at the last minute due to impending trades.
About the Pelicans (28-21 SU, 27-21-1 ATS, 23-26 o/u)
The Pelicans, who sit seventh in the Western Conference and are just a half-game back of the Phoenix Suns for the final playoff spot, will have a significant rest advantage here having not played since last Friday, while the Raptors didn’t arrive in New Orleans until the early morning hours Monday after playing a pair of extra overtime periods on Sunday night.
New Orleans has been getting the job done on the defensive side of the ball this season, ranking fourth in steals per game (8.1), and eighth in deflections per game (15.2). Additionally, the Pelicans rank sixth in isolation defensive PPP (0.88 points per possession) and fourth in loose balls recovered per game (5.9). As for their perimeter defence, they rank second in contested three-point shots, averaging 20.2 per game.
Toronto could have a very difficult time matching up with the hulking tandem of Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas inside. Williamson is second in the league in restricted zone field goals per game (6.9) while shooting 67% near the basket. He’s also averaging 17.4 points in the paint this season, also second in the Association.
Valanciunas is averaging nearly a double-double per game (14.2 points, 9.7 rebounds) and is in a classic revenge spot against his former team. In seven career contests against Toronto, JV is averaging 15.9 points and 14.6 rebounds per game.
Jonas Valanciunas to record a double-double
-135
Injury concerns
As previously mentioned, the Raptors are on the mend and only have Jontay Porter (back) listed as questionable.
There are a few injuries to monitor for the Pelicans, who have Williamson (foot), Larry Nance Jr. (ankle), and Herbert Jones (adductor) listed as questionable. It would be a significant blow for the Pelicans if Williamson is ruled out.
Betting trends
- Toronto is 8-24 in games it was the underdog on the moneyline.
- The under is 4-1 in the Pelicans’ last five games.
- The Raptors are 3-1 ATS in their last four games.
Player prop trends
- You might want to consider fading CJ McCollum’s assist total of 4.5 (+115). The guard hasn’t hit that mark in seven straight games and it has hit at only a 35% rate over his last 20 games. However, McCollum has recorded a block in four straight games and seven of his last eight (over 0.5 blocks, -190).
- Brandon Ingram has been profitable lately on his steals + blocks props. The wing has two or more in four of his last five games and is -110 to record over 1.5.
- Williamson has been a good source of steals this season, recording at least one in three straight games and seven of his last 10. He’s a steep -185 to record a theft.
Wagers to consider
- For previously mentioned reasons, this is a good spot for backing a JV double-double at -135.
- Raptors first-quarter spread: +4 (-110). They’re coming off a spirited effort against the Thunder and some of that adrenaline should carry over to this game before their legs get tired and the players fade as the game progresses. The Pelicans had the weekend off, so it might take a few minutes for them to get back in sync and shake the rust off, and they were outscored 33-24 by the lowly Spurs in the first quarter last time out. You might even want to back Toronto at +210 on the first-quarter moneyline.
