Raptors vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, Jan. 18

Fresh off of a loss on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers are back in action for the fifth time in seven days on Sunday.

L.A. lost by 16 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, and it didn’t have Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Austin Reaves and others in that game. LeBron James played, but he is now likely questionable on the second night of a back-to-back since he has only played in both ends of one on one occasion this season.

Tonight, the Lakers take on the Toronto Raptors, who are the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and have a top-five defense in the 2025-26 season.

Toronto is down two starters in RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, but it does have Scottie Barnes and former Laker Brandon Ingram set to play on Sunday night.

Oddsmakers have set the Raptors as road favorites, a sign that James and Doncic are truly up in the air for this matchup.

Here’s a look at the odds, my favorite prop bet and a prediction for the sixth and final game on Sunday, Jan. 18.

Raptors vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Raptors -1.5 (-115)
Lakers +1.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Raptors: -125
Lakers: +105

Total

223.5 (Over -105/Under-115)

Raptors vs. Lakers How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Jan. 18
Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
How to Watch (TV): TSN, Spectrum Sportsnet
Raptors record: 25-18
Lakers record: 24-16

Raptors vs. Lakers Injury Reports

Raptors Injury Report

RJ Barrett – out
Jakob Poeltl – out
Immanuel Quickley – questionable
Jamison Battle – questionable
Chucky Hepburn – out
Ja’Kobe Walter – out

Lakers Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Raptors vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets

Raptors Best NBA Prop Bet

Collin Murray-Boyles 20+ Points, Rebounds and Assists (-150)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Murray-Boyles is a solid prop target against Los Angeles:

Toronto Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has made a major impact since moving into the starting lineup this month, averaging 10.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game across eight games while shooting 55.4 percent from the field.

A lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Murray-Boyles has at least 20 PRA in five of those games, and he’s playing 31.5 minutes per game during that stretch. With Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett out for Toronto on Sunday, CMB should have a major role against the Los Angeles Lakers.

L.A. ranks 26th in the NBA in defensive rating, and it’s in the bottom 10 in the league in opponent assists per game. After Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes missed the Lakers’ loss on Saturday, there’s a chance they’re short-handed in the frontcourt again in this matchup.

I think Murray-Boyles is a solid value pick, especially if he’s going to continue to play over 30 minutes per night as a starter.

Raptors vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick

There’s a good chance that both teams are short-handed in this game with L.A. playing the second night of a back-to-back, but I’m going to take Toronto to win this matchup.

The Lakers are just 3-4 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back, and I think it’s unlikely that they’d make James play his fifth game in seven days. That would leave the Lakers without two of their best offensive players (James and Austin Reaves) against a Toronto team that is fifth in the league in defensive rating this season.

Los Angeles has struggled for quite some time, ranking 25th in net rating and 28th in defensive rating over its last 15 games – posting a 6-9 record. The Raptors, meanwhile, are 13th in net rating and sixth in defensive rating during that same stretch.

Bettors may want to see if Doncic and James are both ruled in, but I’d lean with Toronto to take this matchup on Sunday night.

Pick: Raptors Moneyline (-125 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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