Raptors vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 7 (Toronto Takes Down an Injured LA Squad)

Raptors vs. Lakers Game Info

• Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2022
• Time: 7:30 PM ET
• Venue: Scotiabank Arena -- Toronto, Ontario
• Coverage: TSN and SportsNet LA

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Wednesday with 11 more games, including a battle between the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors. The Lakers fell short in a 116-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. Center Anthony Davis only played 8 minutes in that defeat due to an illness.

Meanwhile, the Raptors couldn't defend home-court advantage in a 116-110 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday. Toronto entered halftime with a 6-point lead before it was outscored 35-18 in the third quarter. Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. combined for 70 points in the loss.

Raptors vs. Lakers Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: TOR: (-750) | LAL: (+530)
• Spread: TOR: -12.5 (-110) | LAL: +12.5 (-110)
• Total: 228.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Raptors enter this contest as heavy home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 228.5 points, which is one of the lower totals among Wednesday's slate.

Raptors vs. Lakers Betting Trends

• The Raptors put together a 47-35-0 record against the spread last season.
• As 8-point underdogs or more, the Lakers went 6-3 against the spread last season.
• The Raptors and their opponents combined to hit the over 41 out of 82 times last season.
• Out of 82 Lakers games last year, 47 went over the total.

Raptors vs. Lakers Prediction & Pick

Anthony Davis will remain out due to his illness tonight and LeBron James will also sit on the sideline with an ankle injury. That means the Lakers will be without their top two scorers this season against a team that ranks ninth in defensive efficiency. That is obviously not a recipe for success on the road.

The Raptors have been stellar at Scotiabank Arena this year. They own a 9-3 record at home and are allowing just 106.3 points per game in front of their own fans (No. 4 in NBA). Toronto also logs just 12.6 turnovers per home game (No. 2 in NBA), which limits scoring opportunities for the opponent.

The Lakers have lost 13 of their last 15 games against the Raptors, so I'll back the home team.

Final Score Prediction: Raptors: 123 | Lakers: 107

Raptors vs. Lakers Best Bet

The Lakers have been playing great basketball, but run into their kryptonite on Wednesday. Not only is LA 2-10 straight up in its last 12 games against Toronto, but it is also just 2-10 against the spread (ATS) during that same span. The Raptors head into this one with experience and health on their side.

Toronto is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games against a Pacific Division opponent and 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games played in December. This is the time of the season in which the Raptors have established themselves as a true playoff contender in years past. I expect more of the same against the Lakers.

Bet: Toronto Raptors -12.5 (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.