We have a mostly underwhelming five-game slate Thursday, as just one matchup will feature two teams with winning records. That game is the Lakers playing the Raptors in Toronto at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass. The headline coming into the matchup is that Lakers G Luka Doncic (personal) has been ruled out.
Below, we'll preview the game and break down three of the top Lakers vs. Raptors NBA Picks on PrizePicks for today, including for Lakers F LeBron James and Lakers G Austin Reaves.
Lakers vs. Raptors Prediction, Preview for Today
Doncic had played in 12 straight games for the Lakers. During that span, he averaged 33.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 9.2 assists over 36 minutes per game. Lakers G Marcus Smart (back) has also been ruled out.
Raptors F RJ Barrett (knee) will miss his sixth straight game. Joining him on the sidelines will be Raptors C Jakob Poeltl (rest), who has been ruled out for the first game of this back-to-back set for the Raptors.
The Raptors are 2.5 favorites, returning a 1.69x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Lakers are underdogs on the road with a 2.00x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Spread: Raptors -2.5
Total: 242.5
Gamer Winner Payout: Raptors 1.69x | Lakers 2.00x
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers enter this game 15-5, the second-best record in the Western Conference. That included them going 8-2 over their last 10 games. They actually have a better record on the road (8-2) than they do at home (7-3).
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NBA. They are 15-7 out of the gate, good for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. They are 8-2 at home, which has included them going 3-0 at home without Barrett.
Lakers vs. Raptors Prediction, NBA Picks Today
Here are three of the top Lakers vs. Raptors DFS picks on PrizePicks for today. Player projections via the PrizePicks real money NBA game.
Lakers F LeBron James vs. Raptors Projection – 8 Assists
- James has taken a back seat to Doncic and Reaves, averaging just 12.6 shot attempts per game. He has never averaged fewer than 17.6 attempts a night for a season in his career.
- Since returning from injury, the soon to be 41-year-old has played at least 30 minutes in all five games.
- While his scoring is way down, James is still averaging 7.2 assists.
- Doncic has the ball in his hands a lot, leaving him to average 8.9 assists per game for the season. With him out, James should be asked to help facilitate more within the Lakers’ offense.
Lakers G Austin Reaves vs. Raptors Projection – 29.5 Points
- Reaves only scored 16 points in a lopsided loss to the Suns on Monday. Prior to that, he had scored at least 31 points in three straight games.
- The fifth-year guard is averaging 28.1 points per game for the season.
- After shooting 46.0% from the field last season, Reaves has shot 51.9% this season.
- In the three games that Reaves played without Doncic, he scored 51, 41, and 28 points.
Raptors F Brandon Ingram vs. Lakers Projection – 23.5 Points
- Ingram is averaging 16.8 shot attempts per game for the season, but he has averaged 21.4 shot attempts over the last five games without Barrett.
- Since Barrett went down, Ingram has averaged 24.0 points despite shooting just 43.9% from the field and 59.3% from the free-throw line.
- For the season, the former Laker is shooting 47.2% from the field and 81.6% from the charity stripe.
- The Lakers rank 18th in defensive rating and have allowed the sixth-highest field goal percentage (48.3%) in the league.
Make NBA Picks on PrizePicks
If the Lakers are going to continue their hot start to the season, they will need James and Reaves to increase their production with Doncic out against the Raptors. With plenty of projections to consider for Lakers vs. Raptors and the rest of Thursday’s slate, now is the time to build your NBA Lineup on PrizePicks.
Just pick More or Less for at least two NBA player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks. Check out the Playbook for more NBA DFS picks and analysis all the way through the season.
