In a matchup headlined by the return of Kawhi Leonard to Canada for the first time since winning the 2019 NBA title, the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday evening. Fred VanVleet (knee) is questionable to play for Toronto, while Landry Shamet (ankle) will miss the game for the Clippers. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET at Air Canada Centre. Sportsbooks list Los Angeles as a 2.5-point road favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 219.5 in the latest Clippers vs. Raptors odds. Before you make any Raptors vs. Clippers picks or NBA predictions, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated NBA spread and money line picks. It's already returned almost $800 in profit on all its top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and entered Week 8 on a blistering 16-7 run on all top-rated NBA against the spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Clippers vs. Raptors. We can tell you that the model is leaning over, and has generated a strong against the spread pick that is hitting in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Raptors vs. Clippers.
Clippers vs. Raptors spread: Clippers -2.5
Clippers vs. Raptors over-under: 219.5 points
Clippers vs. Raptors money line: Clippers -147, Raptors +124
LAC: L.A. is 5-6 on the road this season
TOR: The Raptors are 9-2 at home
The model knows that the Raptors are a strong team, even without Leonard in the fold. Toronto enters this contest with a 16-7 record that includes a 9-2 mark at home, and Pascal Siakam has developed into a legitimate superstar. The rangy forward is averaging 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as Toronto's No. 1 option. From a team perspective, the Raptors lean heavily on a stout defense. Toronto ranks among the NBA's top five in overall defensive efficiency and, with elite marks in defending the perimeter and creating turnovers from the opposition, there is reason to believe the Raptors can perform well against the Clippers at home.
Just because the Raptors have a few edges doesn't mean Toronto will cover the Clippers vs. Raptors spread on Wednesday.
The model also has considered that the Clippers are considered to be the better team overall and that is reflected in a point spread that has L.A. as a road favorite. Doc Rivers' team is 14-4 when Leonard suits up this season and, with George in the lineup, the Clippers have lost only three times. The Clippers ranks No. 10 in overall offensive efficiency with a top-five free throw rate, as well as the ability to punish teams on the offensive glass. In fact, L.A. leads the NBA in generating second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds and that is the weak spot of a Toronto defense that struggles to corral defensive rebounds in their own right.
On the other end, the Clippers, like the Raptors, have an elite defense. L.A. excels at closing possessions and, when deploying lineups that feature Patrick Beverley alongside George and Leonard, the defensive ceiling is immense. Toronto faces bouts of turnover issues and, while they are about league-average in protecting the ball, the Raptors rarely create offensive rebounds. That can swing the numbers game to the Clippers but, in a game with a ton of emotion, it will be interesting to see how Toronto holds up against a top opponent.
So who wins Raptors vs. Clippers? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to to see which side of the Raptors vs. Clippers spread you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
