The Los Angeles Lakers saw their eight-game winning streak end at the hands of the Suns on Monday night and will try to get back on track as they hit the road to face off against the Toronto Raptors.
Both teams have 15 wins on the season, and identical 8-2 records on the road for Los Angeles and at home for Toronto.
The oddsmakers have the Raptors as slight home favorites at the best betting sites on Thursday night.
Let’s take a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for Thursday night’s NBA matchup.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Lakers Injury Report
Raptors Injury Report
LeBron James UNDER 6.5 Rebounds (-115)
The Lakers are 4-1 with LeBron James in the lineup so far this season, but the legend hasn’t exactly been getting involved on the glass. He’s averaging just four rebounds per game, and hasn’t had a ton of chances either.
LeBron did have 10 rebound chances last time out against the Suns, but he pulled none of them down. Perhaps he’ll want to bounce back from that and put up a strong game on the glass, but even that won’t necessarily result in seven rebounds tonight in Toronto.
I’ll fade James at this 6.5 line and see if the books adjust if he continues this trend.
LeBron James made his season debut a few weeks ago to boost the Lakers’ lineup, but Los Angeles takes a step back without Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart tonight. That explains why the Raptors are favored, as does their home dominance.
However, Toronto has had some trouble covering the spread at home in recent weeks. They failed to cover as -5, -10.5, -11.5, and -7.5 favorites in their last 10 games, with two of those victories coming by just two points.
On the flip side, the Lakers’ five losses have been by double digits, so when they keep the game close, they usually win.
Los Angeles has also had plenty of success against the Raptors in recent years, with five straight wins against Toronto. I’ll back LeBron and the Lakers to win outright in Toronto tonight.
Pick: Lakers moneyline (+114)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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