The Toronto Raptors have done well for themselves as of late.
With the team essentially back at full strength, the Raptors have won six of their last seven games, inched back above .500 and vaulted themselves into the Eastern Conference playoff picture ahead of the season's halfway point.
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Even with the fact that no fans have been permitted to attend since Dec. 31, 2021, the Raptors have done much of their recent damage at home, playing 15 of their last 18 games at home. Despite losing eight of their first 10 home games this season, the Raps have bounced back to win 10 of their last 13 at Scotiabank Arena, restoring a new version of that home-court feeling that had been lacking early on.
What goes around comes around, however, and after the Raptors got comfortable during an extended stretch at home, they'll likely be uncomfortable as they endure a number of road tests.
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It begins with a trip that spans five cities in eight days.
As if the five-game road trip wasn't enough, it's a part of a larger stretch in which Toronto will play 16 of its next 22 games away from home. The Raptors' 8-7 road record up to this point suggests that they've been a solid team away from home this season, but the road ahead presents a number of challenges.
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Raptors upcoming schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET)/Result | Location |
| Jan. 14 | at Pistons | 7:00 p.m. | Little Caesars Arena |
| Jan. 15 | at Bucks | 6:30 p.m. | Fiserv Forum |
| Jan. 17 | at Heat | 7:30 p.m. | FTX Arena |
| Jan 19 | at Mavericks | 8:30 p.m. | American Airlines Center |
| Jan. 21 | at Wizards | 8:00 p.m. | Capital One Arena |
| Jan. 23 | vs. Trail Blazers | 6:00 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Jan. 25 | vs. Hornets | 7:00 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Jan. 26 | at Bulls | 8:00 p.m. | United Center |
| Jan. 29 | at Heat | 8:00 p.m. | FTX Arena |
| Jan. 31 | at Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | State Farm Arena |
| Feb. 1 | vs. Heat | 7:30 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Feb. 3 | vs. Bulls | 7:30 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Feb. 4 | vs. Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Feb. 7 | at Hornets | 7:00 p.m. | Spectrum Center |
| Feb. 9 | at Thunder | 8:00 p.m. | Paycom Center |
| Feb. 10 | at Rockets | 8:00 p.m. | Toyota Center |
| Feb. 12 | vs. Nuggets | 7:30 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Feb. 14 | at Pelicans | 8:00 p.m | Smoothie King Center |
| Feb. 16 | at Timberwolves | 8:00 p.m. | Target Center |
After playing 13 of the next 19 games on the road, the Raptors will get some relief with the All-Star Break (Feb. 17-24) but are welcomed back with another three-game road trip.
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As if the road games themselves weren't enough, the Raptors are set to face a number of quality opponents away from home. At the time of this writing, all but three of the Raptors' upcoming games come against teams that aren't within at least two games of the Play-In Tournament (Pistons, Thunder, Rockets).
Even so, the Raptors have already lost to the Pistons and Thunder, while they have yet to face the Rockets this season. Granted, it was a different team that suffered those losses earlier in the year, but it's a reminder that teams like those can't be overlooked.
This upcoming stretch also includes four visits to title contenders in the Bucks, Bulls and Heat (twice). The Bulls and Heat also return the favour with visits to Scotiabank Arena over the next five weeks. More importantly for the Raptors, games against the Wizards, Hornets and Hawks could be crucial for positioning in the Eastern Conference standings.
Is this a make-or-break stretch? Not quite, but it does present an opportunity to learn just how good this Raptors team is and how good it can be moving forward.
That's where the fun lies.
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