Sportsbooks for US players favor the Los Angeles Lakers by 3.5 points over the Toronto Raptors in their NBA game on August 1st at The Arena in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors Odds
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | -3½ (-110) | 213½ (-110) | -175 |  |
| Raptors | +3½ (-110) | 213½ (-110) | +155 | |
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Betting Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are favored by the best online sportsbooks. Los Angeles was rolling back in March, with a nine-point win over the Clippers and a 10-point victory over Milwaukee. Then the league suspended play. A lot is at stake in the next few months. LeBron James is trying to win a fourth championship after failing to make the playoffs last season. He’s enjoying an MVP-level run. He is happy with what he sees as the Lakers prepare for eight regular-season games before the postseason.
“We’ve got a close-knit group,” he said. “We have a lot of togetherness, a lot of brotherhood with this franchise, and we care for one another. Not only on the floor but off the floor as well.” All of this will be put to the test in games without fans. If the Lakers win their 17th championship, it won’t happen at Staples Center. It will be 2,500 miles away with a few hundred people as witnesses; players, coaches, support staff, and media members.
“You gotta create your own energy here. We understand that” James said. “Our wonderful fans are watching this game on the TVs, on the laptops, phones, iPads…whatever the case may be. So it’s about us creating our own energy.”
James found a perfect partner in crime in Anthony Davis. He cost the Lakers three players and three draft picks last summer but it was well worth it. Davis has provided the Lakers with an impactful presence on defense as well as on offense. He never went beyond the second round of the playoffs in seven years with New Orleans.
Betting Toronto Raptors
The Raps are the underdogs according to sportsbooks for US players. Kyle Lowry has hit the ground running in the scrimmage games. The 34-year-old scored 11 points on four shots and had four assists in 19 minutes against Houston. He didn’t let up in Toronto’s second scrimmage, a 110-104 win over Portland. He logged 13 points, six rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes.
“I don’t think I was very uncertain about how Kyle was going to play,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “He’s a guy, no matter the circumstance, he knows only one way to play. There are no fans here, [but] he’s [still] gonna play [his way]. In typical Kyle fashion, he was only going to play the first half, but he gets to halftime and wants to play some more and [I] just had to rein him in a little bit. He gets his motor going and he loves to play.”
Lowry and the Raptors have been making adjustments, but they are unfazed by their new environs. “We’re coming here to win the thing,” said Nurse. “That’s what we’re trying to do. We like our team. We think we have incredible chemistry and some toughness and great competitors, man. There are some really special players on this team that play to win each and every night, and we’re just going to see how far we can take it. And, for us, we set our goals high.” The Raptors have gone right back to work reminding people they’re not going to lie down for anybody.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors NBA Pick:
Unless there is very good reason, it isn’t wise for users of sportsbooks for US players to be against the King.
