Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors: Player props, injury report and prediction | NBA

Los Angeles Lakers big Toronto Raptors astatine Crypto.com Arena successful the aboriginal hours of Monday UK time, with the hosts chasing an eighth consecutive triumph successful the bid and Scottie Barnes arriving disconnected a career-high 41-point nighttime successful defeat.

Los Angeles (4-2) squandered a 25-point pb successful a 95-112 nonaccomplishment astatine Golden State and Toronto (3-2) fell 114-121 astatine location to Orlando, truthful some teams scope this gathering needing a response.

What is the signifier similar for Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors?

The Lakers person been rebuilt astir Luka Doncic since LeBron James near for Philadelphia, and a squad with 9 caller players opened with a 127-105 triumph implicit Golden State, with Walker Kessler going 12-for-12 for 26 points connected his debut.

A 129-136 location decision to Portland connected October 27 was followed by a 103-87 triumph astatine the Clippers, earlier Friday's illness astatine Golden State, wherever a 38-15 first-quarter pb disappeared amid 22 turnovers and lone 7 points from the bench.

Toronto person been steadier, opening with a 135-92 rout of Chicago, adding a 112-102 triumph astatine Washington and rebounding from a 94-117 decision astatine Minnesota with a 129-99 triumph implicit Orlando, earlier the rematch nonaccomplishment connected Friday near them 4th successful the Eastern Conference standings.

Kawhi Leonard returned to the Raptors from the Clippers successful a woody that sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and a bundle of picks west, but helium scored 23 and 19 successful his archetypal 2 games and was past scratched astir an hr earlier the crippled astatine Minnesota.

Barnes has taken connected the other load, shooting 19-of-34 against Orlando connected Friday connected the mode to a vocation high, though the nonaccomplishment showed however overmuch of the offence present runs done him.

On the ratio numbers Toronto look the stronger side, with a nett standing of +10.8 against the Lakers' +6.0, though that fig leans connected the 43-point triumph implicit Chicago and the 30-point triumph implicit Orlando.

Context matters too, since the Lakers person averaged 127.0 points crossed 3 location games portion conceding conscionable nether 120, whereas Toronto person scored 103.0 and allowed 109.5 successful 2 games connected the road.

That location scoring, unneurotic with 7 consecutive wins successful the series, is wherefore Los Angeles get the nod, though Toronto's borderline connected the boards and successful shot information means a repetition of Friday's sloppiness would manus the Raptors the game.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors squad quality and rotations

Leonard is ruled out, truthful Toronto should again commencement Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Ja'Kobe Walter, Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, the aforesaid radical listed to commencement Friday's nonaccomplishment to Orlando.

Ziaire Williams is questionable with a near ft occupation aft missing the past 2 games, and if helium cannot go, Jake LaRavia is the apt starter alongside Doncic, Austin Reaves, Matisse Thybulle and Kessler.

Doncic sat retired Wednesday's triumph astatine the Clippers, the 2nd limb of a back-to-back, with backmost tightness earlier returning for Friday's crippled astatine Golden State.

Both clubs play again the pursuing night, with Toronto astatine the Clippers and the Lakers hosting Miami, truthful the NBA schedule leaves small country to retrieve for either rotation.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors: the matchups that could determine it

Doncic against Barnes is the header duel, with the Lakers star's playmaking and long-range shooting acceptable against a Toronto guardant who has taken connected a acold heavier scoring load portion Leonard is out.

Kessler's perfect-shooting debut and dependable minutes conscionable Poeltl, who finished Friday with 12 points and 11 rebounds, successful a halfway matchup that could determine who controls the glass.

Best Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors subordinate props

The 3 props beneath remainder connected roles that look secure, with Doncic the focal constituent of the Lakers' offence, Quickley moving Toronto's and Kessler anchoring the Lakers' enactment connected the glass.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors head-to-head record

The Lakers person beaten Toronto successful each of the past 7 meetings, a tally that stretches backmost to March 2023 and includes a 110-93 triumph successful Los Angeles successful January successful which Barnes scored 22 points.

The closest caller crippled was a 123-120 Lakers triumph successful Toronto connected December 4, erstwhile Reaves scored 44 points without Doncic, and JJ Redick is 4-0 against the Raptors arsenic Lakers manager portion Darko Rajakovic has mislaid his past 4 meetings with them.

Sandro Mamukelashvili spent past play with the Raptors earlier signing a four-year woody successful Los Angeles and faces his aged nine for the archetypal time, with the sides gathering again successful Toronto connected January 3, 2027.

Our Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors prediction and betting tips

We expect the Lakers to triumph a crippled decided by shooting and shot security, with Doncic's aboriginal scoring gathering a cushion that Toronto's defence tin lone trim backmost to azygous digits.

The implicit looks the sharper full due to the fact that Los Angeles person not needed to support good to propulsion scores precocious astatine home, and portion Toronto people retired acold amended defensively connected the numbers, an Orlando crippled that reached 235 shows however rapidly they tin beryllium stretched.