TORONTO RAPTORS VS. LOS ANGLES LAKERS – ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY 9, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from Tuesday night’s slate features the Toronto Raptors (15-21 SU, 17-18-1 ATS) taking on the Los Angeles Lakers (19-19 SU, 17-21-1 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 10:30 PM ET
  
• Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  
• TV: SportsNet LA and TSN

Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angels Lakers (Via DraftKings)

Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angels Lakers – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Raptors Continue Their Recent Success Against The Lakers?

Toronto Raptors Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 115.0 PPG – 17TH     
• Offensive Efficiency: 115.5 points per 100 possessions – 17TH      
• Scoring Defense: 115.7 PPG – 17TH        
• Defensive Efficiency: 116.2 points per 100 possessions – 17TH 

The Toronto Raptors are in the No. 11 spot in the conference playoff race, and they are 5-5 across their last 10 outings. This includes a surprising 133-118 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night. 

RJ Barrett – who the Raptors acquired via a trade with the New York Knicks – scored a team-high 37 points with six rebounds and six assists. 

“I’m coming in here learning a new system and trying to attack it head-on; trying to be a sponge,” Barrett told CBS Sports. “I’m watching a lot of film, just making sure that I’m doing the things that coach (Darko Rajakovic) wants and finding a way to be effective on that end.”

Before he was traded to Toronto, Barrett was averaging 18.2 points on 42.3 percent shooting from the floor. Since joining the Raptors, however, he is averaging 21 points per contest with a conversion rate of 53.8 percent. He is also averaging 6.5 rebounds per contest as well.  

Can The Lakers Continue To Build Momentum Following Their Hard-Fought Win Over the Clippers?

Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 113.5 PPG – 20TH   
• Offensive Efficiency: 112.3 points per 100 possessions – 24TH 
• Scoring Defense: 114.6 PPG – 16TH    
• Defensive Efficiency: 113.4 points per 100 possessions – 9TH  

Meanwhile, the Lakers find themselves in the 10th spot in the conference playoff race out west. They are just 3-7 over their last 10 outings. Not what the team had hoped for following their win in the inaugural In-Season Tournament. 

From a positive standpoint, the Lakers recently ended a four-game losing streak with a 106-103 win over the LA Clippers. LeBron James spearheaded the Lakers’ scoring attack with 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Anthony Davis chipped in with 22 points, 10 boards, and three steals. 

“We played like we needed to win, like it was a must-win,” Davis said via ESPN. “We competed on both sides of the basketball. We’ve just got to build off of it. We know what we have in the locker room. We know what it takes to win, and we displayed that tonight.”

It is worth mentioning that the Lakers’ defense held their opponent to 39.6 percent shooting from the field. On the heels of a solid win over a surging Clippers team, the Lakers are hoping this will be a springboard for this group moving forward. 

Now, let us look at the all-important betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Los Angeles Lakers opened as a consensus 4.5-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has not moved. Here is a look at how both teams have performed against the spread this season.

• The Raptors are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
• Toronto is 11-3 ATS in their last 14 matchups against the Lakers.
• The Raptors are an impressive 7-1 ATS in their last seven road contests against Los Angeles.
• In their last 13 games against Western Conference teams, Toronto is 9-4 against the spread.
• The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against Eastern Conference opponents. 

Based on the above trends, going with the Raptors to cover feels like an excellent choice in this matchup.

Prediction: Toronto Raptors (+4.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 231 points. At the time of this writing, the line has moved to 234.5 points (via pre-game.com). Here is a look at why going with the “OVER” is the smart choice here. 

• The total has gone OVER five times in the Raptors’ last seven contests.

• The OVER total has prevailed four times in Toronto’s last five road games.

• The OVER has cashed in 10 times in the Lakers’ last 14 contests.

• The OVER total has hit for Los Angeles five times in its last six matchups against Toronto. 

Prediction: OVER 234.5 points

Prop Bets

The key player to watch for the road team is RJ Barrett. He currently has -130 odds of scoring more than 17.5 points and +100 odds of scoring less than 17.5 points. 

• On the season, Barrett is averaging 18.6 points per outing, 
• In 18 road games, he is averaging 17.9 PPG.
• Barrett has played against Western Conference teams 13 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 17.7 points per outing.
• RJ Barrett has played three times on Tuesday nights this season. He is averaging 18.3 PPG in those contests.
• During January, Barrett is averaging 21 points per game. 
• Over his last 10 outings, he is averaging 18.3 points per outing, and he has exceeded the projected points total four times during that stretch. 

As the trends indicate, going with the “over” for Barrett looks like an excellent choice here.

Prediction: RJ Barrett OVER 17.5 points

The key player to watch for the home team is LeBron James. He currently has -130 odds of scoring more than 27.5 points and +100 odds of finishing with less than 27.5 points. Here is a look at how his season splits stack up against his projected scoring total for this matchup. 

• On the season, James is averaging 25.2 points per outing.
• In 17 home games, he is averaging 23.7 PPG.
• James has played against Eastern Conference teams 11 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 21.2 PPG.
• He has played five times on Tuesday nights this season. His points-per-game average in those contests is 23.6.
• In three matchups against Atlantic Division opponents, James is averaging 19.7 points per outing.
• Over his last 10 outings, James is averaging 25.2 PPG. He has exceeded the projected points total for this matchup just three times during that stretch.

Based on these trends, going with “under” for James looks like a safe bet.

Prediction: LeBron James UNDER 27.5 points

James’s Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Lakers Picks

• The Spread: Raptors (+4.5)
  
• Over/Under: Over 234.5 points
  
• Player Prop Bet #1: RJ Barrett Over 17.5 points
  
• Player Prop Bet#2: LeBron James Under 27.5 points