The NBA does not have a big schedule of games on Tuesday. In the late game, the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers will meet on January 9th, 2024 (10:40 PM ET/7:40 PM PT). The Lakers are favored in the game at -4.5 (bet365) as they come off of a big win over the LA Clippers. My Raptors vs Lakers prediction is that Los Angeles will win this game and Anthony Davis will be a key player.
NBA Matchup: Raptors vs Lakers
Away: Toronto Raptors
Home: Los Angeles Lakers
Game time: Tuesday, January 9th, 2024 @ 10:40 PM ET
Raptors vs Lakers odds (home team's spread): -4.5 (bet365)
Toronto vs Los Angeles Prediction: Recent NBA Headlines
The Toronto Raptors last played on Sunday, a game that saw a good result for them. They beat the Golden State Warriors 133-118. It marked the team's third win in their last four games.
RJ Barrett had 37 points in the game. That is a season-high for him. The way things look so far is that the recent trade between New York and Toronto has benefited both teams. Each team has put up some wins in their recent outings.
Toronto Raptors injuries: recent news
Jakob Poetl will miss this upcoming game. Blake Murphy of SportsNet.ca reported that he has a sprained ankle. The same source says that Otto Porter Jr. is doubtful for this game.
The Raptors do not have a great contingency plan for playing without Poetl at this point. In order to acquire Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, Toronto had to offload its backup center, Precious Achiuwa. The Poetl injury hurts Toronto as Jontay Porter stands to gain a lot of minutes, a player who doesn't normally make significant contributions.
Double-check for playing status updates with Toronto (04:03 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
The Lakers are now 18-19 on the season. In their last game, they squeaked a victory out, 106-103 over the LA Clippers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both led the way in minutes for the Lakers. While a win over LAC is a strong win these days, in the broader context the Lakers have struggled since winning last month's NBA Cup. It will be interesting to see if the win over LAC is a sign of things to come or a one-off result.
Los Angeles Lakers: Recent Form Alert
Formerly: 14 - 10 heading into December 12th, 2023
Currently: 18 - 19 (overall)
Recent form: 4 - 9 since December 12th, 2023
Recent winning rate: .308
Note: the Lakers have a win in the NBA Cup final (December 9th) that is not reflected in their regular-season record.
Los Angeles Lakers injuries: recent news
James is questionable for Tuesday's game against Toronto according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (ankle). The same source says that Davis is "probable" for the game. Usually, when LeBron has been "questionable" for a game he has not only played but played well. Bettors will have to follow these players on Tuesday and you can use the link below for that.
Double-check status updates Los Angeles (04:03 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Raptors vs Lakers Prediction: Betting Tips
You have to think that this will be a game where Anthony Davis will put on a show. Poetl going out takes a seven-footer for Toronto out of the picture. That promises to open up Davis on the inside and allow him to have an above-average game for rebounding.
Davis is listed as "probable" so bettors will have to assume that he is playing. For a player prop, I would count on him beating 45.5 for points, rebounds, and assists at -115 (OVER with bet365). That LeBron James is questionable is a point in AD's favor as well because Davis would be more relied on if LeBron did miss.
For main markets, I would not look further than LA's moneyline at -200 (bet365). With the trade that Toronto made with New York, they were counting on Jakob Poetl to stay healthy. They do need the guards that they acquired but giving up their backup center was the cost. That hurts them in a situation like this where Poetl is out. This could be a game where Toronto collapses just due to one weak point.
-200 on LA won't make you rich but a same-game parlay on the Lakers to win and Davis to go OVER 45.5 works out to +155 (bet365).
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