Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers – Preview & Prediction: In the NBA, Toronto Raptors will host Los Angeles Lakers.
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Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview
The Toronto Raptors had a season start that, to put it mildly, was far from impressive. In the first five games of the season, they recorded just one win — they opened with a victory over the Atlanta Hawks, then followed that with four straight losses. From that moment on, they began playing phenomenal basketball. It was hard to expect such a reaction from the franchise, but in the next 17 games they recorded as many as 14 wins with only three losses. That earned them a fantastic second place in the Eastern Conference standings with a total of 15 wins and seven losses. The only team currently ahead of them are the Detroit Pistons. It’s also worth noting that the team has been extremely consistent lately, aside from two difficult losses against the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks.
It is extremely important that the Toronto Raptors enter this game in a winning mood. The team was in a mini-slump with those two losses, and the defeat against the Charlotte Hornets — who beat them as underdogs after overtime — was especially painful. However, coming into this matchup, they managed to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 121–118. Judging by how the score progressed, it’s clear that the Raptors’ confidence had been shaken, which makes this win even more important. After a relatively weak first quarter, they played an excellent second and third period, building a double-digit lead. They entered the final quarter with a 15-point advantage and it looked like they would close out the game routinely. Still, it was Brandon Ingram who saved them in the end with key points in the final seconds. The leading scorer was Scott Barnes, who put up 28 points along with seven rebounds and seven assists. Immanuel Quickley also stood out.
The Los Angeles Lakers entered this season with maximum expectations. It is the first season in which they have Luka Dončić from the very beginning, and the ambitions are understandably very high. It should be noted that so far they have every reason to be satisfied, as the team looks very good. The start of the season didn’t look too promising, given their 2–2 record through the first four games, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors. However, from that point on, we saw a significantly better version of this team. The only teams that managed to beat them were the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Phoenix Suns — and interestingly, all three losses were by double digits. Even so, the team currently sits in second place in the Western Conference with 15 wins and five losses, with only the Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of them.
Coming into this game, the team suffered a defeat against the Phoenix Suns, who beat them 108–125 as visitors. In doing so, they snapped the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak. Nothing indicated a poor performance from the home team during the first quarter, which ended evenly. However, in the second period, a rather inexplicable drop occurred — mainly on the defensive end, where they failed to match the Suns’ aggressiveness. Phoenix took full advantage, scoring 35 points compared to the Lakers’ 21, reaching a double-digit lead. They extended the margin further in the third quarter, and at that point, the game was essentially decided. The Lakers tried to mount a comeback, but the Suns closed out the game routinely in the final quarter. Not even another brilliant performance from Luka Doncic helped, as he finished with 38 points and 11 rebounds. Austin Reaves added 16 points.
Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers H2H
The Los Angeles Lakers won in both head-to-head meetings last season.
Injuries and Suspensions
Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett are out for the Toronto Raptors, while A.J. Lawson is questionable. Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart will not play for the visitors.
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Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers Best Betting Tip and Prediction
The Toronto Raptors are definitely facing a tough opponent, but it’s also a fact that they’ve been in phenomenal form if we exclude the very start of the season. On the other hand, it’s clear that the Los Angeles Lakers are an extremely strong team, but they will be significantly weakened in this matchup without their most important player – Luka Doncic. With that in mind, we believe the Toronto Raptors will take advantage of this situation, and our prediction is that they will win this game.
Tip-off Time: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST, December 4th
Prediction: Toronto Raptors to win
Odds: 1.74
Stake: 1 Unit
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