Overview
The Los Angeles Lakers (29-40) make the trip up north to battle the Toronto Raptors (39-30) on Friday night.
Last games records
The Lakers’ struggles continued on Wednesday in a 124-104 defeat at the hands of the Timberwolves. It was not all that long ago that L.A. and Minnesota were even in the standings, but the T-Wolves now have a far better record than the Lakers, and it showed in their dominant win.
The seventh-seeded Raptors are scorching hot right now. Toronto has won five games in a row entering Friday’s action, including a competitive 103-100 victory over the Clippers in their last time on the court.
Toronto defeated Los Angeles in their last-head-to match-up by a final score of 114-103.
Matchup Information
Let’s take a look at the NBA betting odds for this game.
Lakers at Raptors Betting Analysis
Los Angeles Lakers Betting Analysis
The Lakers labored to open the season, but they were at least winning some games and remained fairly competitive. But the wheels have completely fallen off over the past couple of weeks, and L.A. has dropped eight of their last ten matchups.
The Lakers shot under 42 percent from the field and under 23 percent from beyond in the arc in their recent loss against Minnesota. They also tallied 14 turnovers in the defeat. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook combined for eight of those turnovers, while LeBron finished with a plus-minus of minus-19 for the game.
Los Angeles’s only two wins during this horrid stretch came when James scored 50 or more points. This is a team reeling in a bad way right now, without question.
Toronto Raptors Betting Analysis
The Raptors are trending in the exact opposite direction of Los Angeles. They are playing a quality brand of basketball right now and will look to keep rolling at home.
Pascal Siakam stepped up and led the charge in their recent three-point win over the Clippers. Siakam scored 31 points on 13-22 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds. He finished with an impressive plus-minus of plus-10. Fred VanVleet also delivered a strong effort with 21 points and three assists.
The Raptors don’t always have one incredible individual performance, but they figure out ways to win as a team. Their chemistry is a major reason why they find themselves in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Updates
- The Lakers are 28-41 ATS this season.
- The Raptors are 39-29-1 ATS this year.
- Toronto is 16-16 ATS at their home arena.
- The Lakers are 13-19 ATS on the road.
- The Raptors are 22-15 ATS as a favorite.
- Los Angeles is 3-16 ATS as an underdog.
Lakers at Raptors Betting Preview
Locking in your NBA picks on the Raptors seems like a safe bet on Friday. Yes, LeBron is always liable to post a huge performance and single-handedly lead L.A. to a win. But the fact that the Lakers’ chances of winning relies on that right now says all you need to know about them as a team.
The Raptors have too much depth for the Lakers to keep up as well. Their team brand of basketball is in complete contrast to how the Lakers play. They have also been impressive on the defensive end, which could lead to a number of Laker turnovers.
In the end, it would be very difficult to recommend placing any amount of money on the Lakers right now.
Lakers at Raptors Betting Prediction
Bet on Toronto Raptors to win!
How to Bet on Lakers at Raptors
The majority of betting guides favor Toronto as around an 8.5 point favorite. The Raptors are hot, and the Lakers are not, which makes the Raptors the obvious betting favorite.
Expect another strong performance from players such as Siakam and VanVleet on Friday night.
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