After a three-game home stint, the Los Angeles Clippers (28-14) go on the road on Friday night as they meet the Toronto Raptors (16-28) in an interconference matchup at Scotiabank Arena, Toronto.
The Clippers are one of the most in-form teams across the NBA, and have won 11 of their last 13 games. They occupy fourth-place in the Western Conference standings, whilst the Raptors are in 12th in the Eastern Conference. Darko Rajaković’s Toronto are looking to avoid a fourth-straight loss.
The game is set to get underway at 7:30 p.m. ET, and BetMGM have the Clippers as 7.5-point favorites (-110). The game total is set at 233.5. Will the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George lead LA to a fourth consecutive win? Or will the Raptors produce an upset? Find out what we think with our best bet below!
Last Time Out
Earning a 127-116 victory over city rivals the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers managed to record their third consecutive win on Tuesday night. Leonard put up 25 points, whilst veteran guard James Harden notched 23 as the pair continue to contribute to a top-ten offense in the NBA.
The Clippers have been far better at home than on the road this season (19-4), and are just under .500 in away games. They lost their last road matchup 109-105, too, but that was against current Western Conference leaders the Minnesota Timberwolves. LA have won three of their last five away from Crypto.com Arena.
It has been a difficult campaign thus far for the Raptors who have lost seven of their last eight outings. That includes a 108-100 defeat at home to the Memphis Grizzlies (17-27) in their most recent matchup on Monday. That means they’ve had a three-day rest, however, so their roster will be fresh for tonight.
Toronto have been far from convincing when playing at home and have a record of 10-12 this season. They have lost five of their last seven at Scotiabank Arena, and a defeat in this one would make it three successive losses on their own court.
Injuries
The visitors will be hindered by the fact that starting center Ivica Zubac is set to remain out due to a calf injury. However, the Clippers have lost just one of their last four without the Croat, with Daniel Theis and Mason Plumlee covering well in his absence. Forward Moussa Diabate is sidelined due to a right-hand fracture, but LA don’t have any other major concerns to deal with.
The loss of Zubac is offset by the injury to the Raptors’ starting center Jakob Poeltl. He is expected to miss out due to an ankle issue. Meanwhile, Toronto will also have guard Immanuel Quickley sidelined with a thigh problem.
Head-to-Head
This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Clippers secured a 126-120 win in LA earlier this month as George and Leonard put up 29 points each. Toronto managed to keep it close, though, as Quickley, RJ Barrett and Dennis Schroder recorded 20+ points a piece.
LA have won their last three-straight clashes with the Raptors, and haven’t lost to them since March 2022. The Clippers have also won in three of their last five visits to Toronto. Tyronn Lue’s team are currently priced at -300 on the moneyline with BetMGM.
Betting Trends & Stats
Averaging the ninth-most points per game across the league this season (118.0), the Clippers should score plenty of points against a Raptors side that are giving up the 13th-most points in the NBA (116.4). LA also has the fifth-best field goal percentage (49.6%), and the best three-point percentage in the league (40.1%).
The Clippers rank inside the top-ten against the spread this season, too, and have a record of 23-19-0 (54.8%). However, they haven’t covered as often on the road (47.4%), but are 8-5-0 as away favorites, covering 61.5% of the time. They have an ATS record of 16-11-0 after a win (59.3%), which is the seventh-best in the NBA.
As for the hosts, they are 20-23-1 ATS, and have a point differential of -2.0 this season (eighth-worst in the league). They have covered in just 45.5% of their home games, and have an ATS record of 4-5-0 as home underdogs. Toronto has a slight rest advantage here, but they have covered in just 45.5% of games in that scenario (5-6-1).
Key Players
A surfeit of superstars will be on display tonight with the Clippers boasting an All-Star roster of the likes of Leonard, Harden, George, and Russell Westbrook. Despite all four being above the age of 30, they are still proving to be incredibly influential. Zubac’s absence will be felt, though, as he leads the team in average rebounds (9.7) and blocks (1.4).
Leonard is averaging 23.7 ppg (ranked 23rd in the NBA), 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists. The forward also leads the team in steals per game (1.7). George will also need to be covered as he is averaging 23.5 ppg. Meanwhile, Harden is the team’s leader in assists (8.5 per game).
Toronto have embraced their poor season after trading forward Pascal Siakam earlier this month. However, Barrett (20.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists) and Scottie Barnes (20.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists) will both be key. They both put up over 20 points each last time out against the Grizzlies.
Best Bet
It should be a routine victory for the Clippers tonight, and their stars will be expected to get the job done. LA haven’t played since Tuesday so shouldn’t be dealing with much fatigue either.
Toronto are not looking good of late which is summed up by the fact they have seven defeats over their last eight games. The absences of Poeltl and Quickley limit the Raptors even further. The Clippers should cover the spread tonight.
LA Clippers -7.5 (-110 with BetMGM)