The Los Angeles Clippers are heating up, and they’re solid favorites to keep their streak going Saturday night against the visiting Toronto Raptors. The game is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) with TV coverage on NBA TV and streaming on-demand.
The Clips have already replaced a three-game losing streak with three straight good victories over the San Antonio Spurs (113-104), Philadelphia 76ers (110-98) and Sacramento Kings (107-98). Guard Norman Powell continues to be a revelation, leading the team in scoring in four straight games and ranking fourth in the NBA with his 4.2 three-point makes per game. He’ll try to take the action to a Raptors team that ranks last in the NBA in defense, allowing 124.7 points per game.
The Raptors and Clippers are set for a 10:30 p.m. ET start on NBA TV. Live streams are available with offers from FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate).
The game is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on NBA TV and FanDuel Sports Network SoCal. Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using FuboTV and DirecTV Stream, which both offer a free trial or with SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available.
The Raptors are 2-7 and have lost six of their last seven games, including the first two legs of this West Coast trip.
The 5-4 Clippers are winners of three straight, including winning the first half of a back-to-back that concludes Saturday against the Raptors by beating the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
The Raptors have started the season just 2-7, but they've made almost every game a close contest and gone a remarkable 7-2 against the spread. They might be 8-1 ATS right now if not for a fourth-quarter collapse against old friend DeMar DeRozan and the Kings.
Los Angeles has plenty of flaws — and another old friend of the Raptors, Kawhi Leonard, will be in street clothes this evening. Toronto could very well mount its third upset of the season this evening! At the very least, it's a very intriguing road 'dog.
RJ Barrett and the Raptors continue their road trip on Saturday when they face James Harden and the Clippers at the brand-new Intuit Dome (10:30 p.m. ET, TSN). The Raps had an extra day off to prepare for this one after getting walloped by the Kings late on Wednesday.
With Toronto still missing key rotational players Scottie Barnes, Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown and LA riding a modest two-game winning streak, the Raptors enter as considerable road underdogs.
It's important to note, however, that the Raps have covered seven of nine spreads this season, including road battles against Western Conference power players Denver and Minnesota.
It sounds crazy to say about the head coach of a 2-7 team, but Darko Rajaković has done a fantastic job this season. Despite Toronto missing franchise player Scottie Barnes, glue guy Kelly Olynyk and Swiss Army knife Bruce Brown, this squad has battled game in and game out. And point guard Immanuel Quickley makes his season debut tonight!
Savvy bettors have been rewarded handsomely for paying attention to the ATS trends. The Raps have been a cover monster, with a season-long cover rate of 77.8 percent and a 3-1 record as an away underdog. How can anyone trust the Clippers to cover against this scrappy squad on three days rest?
RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick have been scoring at will in Barnes' absence. Davion Mitchell has filled in at the point nicely in relief of the injured Quickley (pelvis), and will now make one heck of a bench playmaker. Jakob Poeltl continues to bang down low, and he should make Ivica Zubac's life difficult tonight.
LA played a feisty Sacramento team last night, so the Clips are facing a back-to-back and fourth game in six nights. That's not great for a team already missing its best player and riding multiple older vets as top scorers (Harden, LA's leading scorer, is 35 — Norm Powell, Ivica Zubac and Derrick Jones Jr. are all in Year 8 or greater). Take the Raps and the points tonight.
Can the Raptors cover the spread?
Barrett has no problems hoisting up shots during the injury absence of Barnes. The native Canadian has launched 21.2 field-goal attempts per game, and he has hit nine or more shots in five of his six contests this season.
RJ has also scored 31-plus three times, two of which came against California-based teams (Lakers, Kings). Watch Barrett score 30 tonight after a couple off games in Denver and Sac-town — he should at least hit 25-plus for the fourth time in six games.
Can the Raptors Pull Off The Upset?
The Raptors will need to play a near-perfect game to overcome the Clippers, who have been playing well lately. Toronto will need to shoot well, take care of the ball, and play tough defense. If they can do those things, they have a chance to pull off the upset.
However, the Clippers are a talented team and they are at home. They have a strong roster, and they are led by James Harden, who is still one of the best players in the NBA. Harden is averaging 25.6 points and 8.4 assists per game.
The Raptors will need to find a way to slow down Harden, as well as the rest of the Clippers' offense. If they can do that, they will have a good chance of winning this game.
It's going to be a tough game for the Raptors, but they have a chance to win. If they play well, they can pull off the upset.
