Is LeBron James Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Raptors vs. Lakers)

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to play their fifth game in seven nights on Sunday night, and it's the second night of a back-to-back after the team lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.

Lakers star LeBron James played in Saturday's loss, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in just over 32 minutes of action. The Lakers were without Luka Doncic on Saturday, and there's a chance both he and James sit on Sunday night.

James has played in both ends of just one back-to-back this season, and that came earlier this week. Now, the four-time champion could get a rest day on Sunday as the Lakers try to keep him fresh for the stretch run this season.

As of this writing, the Lakers have yet to release and injury report for Sunday's game against Toronto, but this story will be updated once they do.

L.A. has slipped to the No. 6 seed in Western Conference at 24-16, and oddsmakers at DraftKings are expecting the team to be short-handed in some capacity on Sunday. L.A. is a 1.5-point home underdog against the Raptors, who are down multiple starters in this game.

RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl have already been ruled out for Toronto, and guard Immanuel Quickley (back spasms) is questionable. Despite that, the Lakers are home dogs for just the seventh time this season. In the previous six games as home dogs, the Lakers are just 2-4 against the spread.

After missing the start of the season with sciatica, James has returned to play at a high level in recent weeks. He's averaging 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game for the entire 2025-26 season while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from beyond the arc.

If James is unable to go, it's likely this line will shift in favor of Toronto. Both James and Doncic are up in the air on Sunday, making the Lakers a risky team to bet on until the status of both stars is revealed.

Stay tuned with SI Betting for the latest injury update and odds movement for this game on Sunday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $200 in bonus bets instantly.