Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers will go for their third straight win when they host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives, with LA sitting eighth in the West at 36-36, while Toronto is fifth in the East at 40-31.
The two teams have faced off 59 times in the regular season, with the Raptors holding a slight 30-29 edge. This will be their second and final meeting this season. They last played on Jan. 16, when LA won 121-117 in overtime behind James Harden’s 31 points. Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 24 points.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 10:30 p.m. ET at Intuit Dome, marking the end of a brutal five-game road trip for Toronto. TSN and FDSSC will televise the game.
Toronto Raptors vs LA Clippers Odds
Moneyline: Raptors (+154) vs Clippers (-180)
Spread: Raptors +4.5. (-117) vs Clippers -4.5 (-103)
Total (O/U): Raptors o222.5 (-115) vs Clippers u225.5 (-109)
Editor’s note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
Toronto Raptors vs LA Clippers Preview
The Raptors have had a tough road trip out West. After staging a 139-109 win over the Chicago Bulls, they dropped back-to-back games against the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns before bouncing back with a 143-127 win over the tanking Utah Jazz on Monday. Four players scored over 20 points, with RJ Barrett leading the way with 27 points.
The Raptors are currently fifth in the East, but they can’t afford to relax, as the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers are within striking distance. It’s crucial for them to hold onto that spot, especially with several of their remaining games coming at home.
The Clippers also went through a slump, losing four consecutive games, but they are currently on a two-game winning streak. They beat the Dallas Mavericks 138-131 in overtime on Saturday behind Darius Garland’s 41 points. On Monday, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 129-96, with Kawhi Leonard leading the team with 28 points.
They may not be a true playoff-caliber team just yet, but they’ll be banking on Leonard’s brilliance to give them a shot at a deep playoff run this season. LA now controls its own destiny, sitting 0.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Portland Trail Blazers and 2.0 games ahead of the 10th-place Golden State Warriors.
The four-game skid made it much tougher to keep up with other teams in the Western Conference, and it will soon become even more difficult to close the gap if they don’t string together wins down the stretch of the regular season.
Toronto Raptors vs LA Clippers Injury Reports
Toronto Raptors Injury Report
The Clippers have listed multiple players on the day-to-day injury report. Brandon Ingram (heel), Immanuel Quickley (foot) and Jakob Poeltl (back) are all listed as questionable, while Chucky Hepburn is out with a knee injury.
LA Clippers Injury Report
Similarly, the Clippers also face late decisions on Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Jordan Miller (back). Both are expected to undergo late medical fitness tests before their statuses are determined. Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Bradley Beal are the other two absentees.
Toronto Raptors vs LA Clippers Startling Lineups
Raptors
PG: Immanuel Quickley | SG: Brandon Ingram | SF: RJ Barrett | PF: Scottie Barnes | C: Jakob Poeltl
Clippers
PG: Darius Garland | SG: Kawhi Leonard | SF: Derrick Jones Jr. | PF: John Collins | C: Brook Lopez
Toronto Raptors vs LA Clippers Prediction
The oddsmakers favor the Clippers to get the win at home. This is a tough matchup for LA, but if they stick to their game plan and stay strong defensively, they can battle for a win. This should be a closely contested game, with the total likely going over 225.5 points.
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