The Toronto Raptors welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to the Air Canada Centre. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 27 and can be seen on TWC SN and TSN2.
The Raptors are are hoping for a better outcome after their 116-103 loss to the Bulls on Wednesday. Greivis Vasquez was the team’s leading scorer with 22 points. The Lakers, meanwhile, are coming off a 101-99 win against the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Jeremy Lin had a good game for Los Angeles, registering 19 points, five assists, and three rebounds.
Over the last five games, DeMar DeRozan has taken his game to another level for the Raptors, averaging 22.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 three-pointer.
The Raptors could have their way today, as their productive offense faces off against one of the league’s worst defenses. They currently rank fourth in the NBA in offensive efficiency while Los Angeles ranks 28th in defensive efficiency.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first matchup 129-122. Kobe Bryant put up a triple-double in the victory, with 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.
The odds for Toronto and Los Angeles are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Raptors come into this game 42-30 Straight Up (SU) and 32-39-1 Against The Spread (ATS). While they boast a record of 9-4 against Western Conference opponents at home, they have struggled to beat the spread in those same games, going 5-8. The Raptors have no trouble scoring as they rank fourth in the league in offense with 104.3 points per game. The Raptors are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 19.6 per game. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Toronto’s offense, which averages just 12.1 turnovers per game.
In the other locker room, the Lakers have a record of 35-33-2 ATS and 19-51 SU. Los Angeles has a poor SU record over the last 10 games (3-7), but have a 7-3 record ATS.
The Lakers’ win over Toronto in their last clash bumped their SU record over the last 10 meetings to 7-3. On the other hand, the Raptors hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. In these last 10 matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, ATS Winner – TOR
Notes
Toronto is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games.
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 games at home.
Toronto is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
Toronto is 5-20 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Lakers.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 7 games when playing LA Lakers.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
Toronto is 4-12 SU in their last 16 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
Toronto is one of the top scoring teams, averaging 104.3 points per game (ranked fourth). Los Angeles, on the other hand, gives up 104.7 points per game (ranked 28th).
Los Angeles ranks 14th in points allowed per road game (106.9 PPG), while Toronto ranks ninth in points per home game with 103.0.
The Los Angeles Lakers won their last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, the Toronto Raptors are 3-3. Los Angeles is 5-6 in close games this season.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 12-13 record. When scoring fewer than 100 points, the Toronto Raptors have an underachieving record of 7-17.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Lakers are just 7-38 this season. Toronto is a winning 35-13 when registering triple digits.
The Raptors have a defensive rating of 104.9 (ranked 25th), while the Lakers rank 21st for their offensive rating of 100.9.
Los Angeles has an average field goal percentage of 43.6%. Toronto is an even 25-25 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, Toronto attempts 25.0 three pointers and Los Angeles attempts 18.8 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Raptors have a 23-18 record while the Lakers have a poor 4-8 record.
Toronto has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.71 this season (ranked eighth), while Los Angeles ranks lower at 15th with an A/TO of 1.65.
Toronto ranks 26th in rebounds per game with 41.4, while Los Angeles ranks 11th with 44.1 per game.
Toronto is ranked 27th in defensive rebounds, while Los Angeles ranks ninth in offensive rebounds.
Toronto has forced an average turnover percentage of 14.5% this season. Los Angeles has an abysmal 4-14 record when its TOV% is 14.5% or higher.
