Our ratings lean toward the Raptors at home against the Lakers on Sunday, January 3, at about 61%. That is a real edge, but the Lakers are far from out of it.
How the Win Meter reads
The Win Meter reads the Raptors 61%, with a projected score of Los Angeles Lakers 112, Toronto Raptors 115. The rating gap is 21 points in favor of the Lakers, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Raptors on top of that.
Readings in this range leave plenty of room for the other side. About 39 times in 100 games like this, the Lakers would win.
Recent form
The Lakers are 2-0 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -3.2. The Raptors are 2-0 this season and 3-2 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of +7.6.
The Lakers' best recent win was 127-105 at home against GSW.
The Lakers were beaten 131-108 at home by OKC not long ago.
The Raptors' best recent win was 135-92 at home against CHI.
Injuries to watch
Out: Cameron Carr (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Adou Thiero (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Jake LaRavia (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, and Nate Bittle (TOR), expected back Oct 28, 2026.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Lakers lead 4-0, with the Lakers outscoring the Raptors by an average of 11.5 points per game. The last meeting was TOR 93, LAL 110.