Los Angeles Lakers vs Toronto Raptors Point Spread Picks

Toronto looks for payback for a 123-120 home loss to the Lakers on Dec. 4. The Raptors ran into a hot Clippers team and lost 121-117 in overtime on Friday night. Toronto is 5-0 ATS its past five games following a loss and 5-0 ATS after a straight-up loss. Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS its past four against teams with winning records. The Lakers have lost five of six (1-5 ATS) and the last two were against teams with losing records, Charlotte and Portland. The Lakers also are playing a back-to-back while dealing with several key injuries, including Luka Doncic, who is day-to-day (groin), and Deandre Ayton (knee). Toronto has covered 13 of the past 19 meetings overall and 12 of 15 on the road against the Lakers. Take the Raptors.

The last eight times the Lakers were underdogs, they won six of the games straight-up. Look for number seven on the season to happen here. LA and LeBron James should be highly focused after being embarrassed, 125-108, by the Suns at home in their last game three days ago. The Lakers have a better road record (8-2) than they do at home (7-3). The Raptors have won eight of their last 10 games and they are just 2.5 games behind Detroit for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. There'll be no lack of motivation for the Lake Show, though they are missing Luka Dončić, who is in Slovenia for the birth of his second child. Toronto, however, remains without one of its best players, R.J. Barrett, who is dealing with a right knee injury. Barrett averages 19.4 points per game and shoots 50.6 percent from the floor. James will have the spotlight to himself. He is getting more in sync as this will be his fifth game this season. Take the Lakers on the moneyline.

Toronto has lost the first three of this road trip but two were by one basket. They led Denver, 109-98 with 5:45 left, but lost by two points as a +11 underdog. In the last game, the Raptors lost 105-103 at the Clippers as a +7.5 underdog. Ochai Agbaji and Immanuel Quickley each scored 21 points for Toronto. It was Quickley's first appearance since missing eight games with a pelvic bruise and he looked sharp. Prior to the road trip, the Raptors beat Sacramento, 131-128, as a +9.5 dog. Los Angeles topped injury-ravaged Philadelphia in the last game but has still lost four of six, including a 115-103 defeat to Detroit as a 7-point favorite. Play Toronto on the moneyline. 

Combine the Lakers (-780), Bucks (-905), Cavaliers (-650), and the Nuggets (-1345) into a 4-team parlay at -193 odds.