Pro Basketball Betting Odds and Picks: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors

Los Angeles Lakers at Toronto Raptors
Sunday, 1/20/13, 1:00 PM EST, TV: TWSN
Opening Point Spread: Los Angeles -4.5
Current Betting Line: Los Angeles -4.5
Opening Total: 205
Current Total: 202.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Los Angeles Lakers SG Kobe Bryant hit the game winner in last year's meeting with the Toronto Raptors — Los Angeles Lakers SG Kobe Bryant hit the game winner in last year’s meeting with the Toronto Raptors

Los Angeles had its two-game win streak snapped in a 99-90 defeat to the Miami Heat as three-point home favorites Thursday night, while the UNDER has cashed in five consecutive contests. “I thought we played well enough to beat them,” stated Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni. “That’s a championship team.” The Lakers are 2-7 in the month of January this year, while they’ll try to avoid their first five-game road skid in six years at the Air Canada Centre. Los Angeles is 1-8 ATS off a upset loss as a favorite this year, with the OVER going 7-2 in that situation.

The Lakers have compiled a disappointing 5-12 overall record when playing away from the Staples Center, including an even 2-2 mark versus Eastern Conference teams. Los Angeles earned a 94-92 victory against Toronto as six-point road favorites in the only meeting last year, with star guard Kobe Bryant hitting a fadeaway jumper with 4.8 seconds remaining. When going north of the border, the franchise has tallied a 12-4 mark.

Toronto has reached the midway point of the 2012-13 NBA season, as it aims to capture 15 wins through 41 games for the 10th time in franchise history. The Raptors are 3-3 when playing at home on Sundays this year. After putting together a two-game win streak, the team has dropped four consecutive games, with the last two coming in overtime. “When you want to become an elite team, you don’t have an ease mode,” stated Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. Toronto is 4-0 ATS as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points this season, which can’t be ignored when making your NBA picks against the spread Sunday.

The Raptors enter this affair with a 0-20 record when opponents score 100 or more points against them, which could spell trouble in this matchup, as the Lakers are one of nine teams averaging over the century mark this season. Toronto is led by its backcourt on the offensive end, with Jose Calderon and DeMar DeRozan combining to average 28.3 points per game.