Something Has to Give As Scuffling Raptors Take on Struggling Rockets

Someone's streak is going to have to come to an end as the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets face off Monday night in a battle of struggling teams

Eventually, something has to give.

It's been almost a month since the Toronto Raptors won their last game. Entering Monday, they've dropped eight straight games and have looked like one of the NBA's worst teams. Fortunately for Toronto, while it's been bad, it hasn't been as ugly as the Houston Rockets' 20-game losing streak.

Someone's streak is going to come to an end Monday night and Vegas sportsbooks are betting it's Toronto's. The Raptors are 8.5-point favourites, according to Covers, on the second night of a back-to-back, on the road in Houston where they arrived shortly after 1 a.m. Monday morning. That's how ugly things have gotten in Houston. Even head coach Stephen Silas is running out of words to describe how he feels these days.

If the Raptors have any hope of righting the ship this season, it's going to have to start on Monday. A -450 moneyline for Toronto implies about an 82% chance of beating Houston who have their eyes set on a top draft pick this season. If Toronto can't do it and drops another game to make it nine straight, it'll become even more difficult to see the Raptors turning things around and making the playoffs this season.

Further Reading

Kyle Lowry jokes that he doesn't know about Thursday's trade deadline

Report: Norman Powell has emerged as a top trade target recently

Report: A Norman Powell trade is 'close to inevitable" ahead of the trade deadline