NBA fans waking up on Sunday will be forgiven for gravitating towards the trade news concerning the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, but the show must go on. The Clippers are, for that matter, tussling with the Lakers for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. They helped themselves with a 112-104 road win on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. The Toronto Raptors saw their run of five wins halted at home by the Chicago Bulls in a 122-104 defeat.

Our NBA odds favour L.A., who are pegged at -4.5 for this Sunday afternoon tilt. 

Clippers vs. Raptors NBA Betting Odds

There is always an air of sentimentality when the Clippers visit Toronto. At least there will be so long as Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell are on the roster. Both were on the 2018-19 championship Raptors squad. That said, it’s been nearly three years since the Raptors have gotten the better of the Clippers. That came in March 2022, and the Californian club has rattled off five consecutive wins since.

The Clippers are banged up these days, but then again, what else is new? Ironically, Leonard is healthy. Powell is not, however (hip), nor is Kris Dunn (knee). Patty Mills, recently dealt from Utah, won’t be available. Betters might be encouraged by the club’s enviable 29-18-1 record against the spread, not to mention that they’ve mustered a 7-3-0 tally in their last 10 matches. That said, things are a bit tougher when travelling, as L.A. is only 11-12 straight up on the road this season.

Over in Toronto’s camp, Davion Mitchell (heel) is listed as day-to-day, and Jamal Shead reportedly has an illness. On the flip side, all the more notable players the organization thought they’d have at the ready when the season began are healthy, which might explain why the team has been a bit better lately. Toronto is 7-2 straight up in its last nine; not a stat anyone would have envisioned a month ago. Like the Clippers, the Raptors can lay claim to a healthy ATS record: 28-19-1.

Los Angeles Clippers

We mentioned in the previous section that playing away from home has been something of a struggle this season for the Clippers. There glimpses of that on Friday night against the Hornets, despite that the latter are among the worst teams in the NBA.

Although L.A. led by 11 at one point (which actually isn’t a lot in today’s NBA), Charlotte managed to slice into the deficit and make it a two-point contest with about half of the fourth quarter left in the books. Only a 7-0 sequence favouring the visitors provided the breathing room necessary to seal the victory. Powell led the charge with 27 points, followed by Leonard’s 21. Both James Harden and Ivica Zubac registered 14 points. 

Speaking of Zubac, he’s currently fourth in the league in rebounding, corralling 12.8 per match.

Toronto Raptors

The funny thing about Friday’s loss at home to the Bulls was that it looked like Toronto had a real shot at winning when the sides returned to the dressing room at the halftime break.

It was only a five-point deficit, and recent momentum suggested the Raptors might make a run. But the complete opposite happened as the Bulls took a commanding 20-point advantage at one point in the third period and never looked back. Bad defence and bad offence for 12 minutes decided the game, essentially. Toronto only shot 33 per cent from distance to Chicago’s 45 per cent and Toronto’s bogeyman, free throws, haunted them (66 per cent).

RJ Barrett averages 21.6 points per game, good for 28^th in the NBA, and Scottie Barnes isn’t far behind with 20.3. The latter is also 14^th in assists, dishing out 6.5 dimes per contest.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Clippers vs. Raptors?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Clippers Team Leaders

LAC

Points	James Harden 22.81
Assists	James Harden 8.7
Rebounds	Ivica Zubac 12.63
FG%	Patrick Baldwin Jr. 100
Steals	Kris Dunn 1.73
Blocks	Ivica Zubac 1.13

TOR

Points	RJ Barrett 21.09
Assists	Scottie Barnes 5.82
Rebounds	Jakob Poeltl 9.6
FG%	Jakob Poeltl 62.7
Steals	Scottie Barnes 1.43
Blocks	Jakob Poeltl 1.25

LAC

Points	James Harden 32
Assists	James Harden 11
Rebounds	Ivica Zubac 13
FG%	Ivica Zubac 66.7
Steals	Kawhi Leonard 3
Blocks	Derrick Jones Jr. 2

TOR

Points
Assists
Rebounds	Did not qualify
FG%
Steals
Blocks

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Raptors Team Leaders

LAC

Points	James Harden 22.81
Assists	James Harden 8.7
Rebounds	Ivica Zubac 12.63
FG%	Patrick Baldwin Jr. 100
Steals	Kris Dunn 1.73
Blocks	Ivica Zubac 1.13

TOR

Points	RJ Barrett 21.09
Assists	Scottie Barnes 5.82
Rebounds	Jakob Poeltl 9.6
FG%	Jakob Poeltl 62.7
Steals	Scottie Barnes 1.43
Blocks	Jakob Poeltl 1.25

LAC

Points	James Harden 32
Assists	James Harden 11
Rebounds	Ivica Zubac 13
FG%	Ivica Zubac 66.7
Steals	Kawhi Leonard 3
Blocks	Derrick Jones Jr. 2

TOR

Points
Assists
Rebounds	Did not qualify
FG%
Steals
Blocks

Injuries

L.A. Clippers

Ivica Zubac (C)

Ques Fri Ankle - 11 / 04 / 25

Nicolas Batum (SG)

Ques Sat Groin - 10 / 04 / 25

Norman Powell (SG)

Ques Fri Shoulder - 09 / 04 / 25

Patty Mills (PG)

Ques Mon Illness - 09 / 04 / 25

Ben Simmons (SG)

Prob Fri Knee - 09 / 04 / 25

Kawhi Leonard (SF)

Ques Wed Knee - 08 / 04 / 25

Kawhi Leonard (SF)

Ques Sat Knee - 05 / 04 / 25

Seth Lundy (SG)

Ques Mon Ankle - 04 / 04 / 25

Ben Simmons (SG)

Ques Sat Knee - 03 / 04 / 25

Bogdan Bogdanovic (SG)

Ques Mon Knee - 31 / 03 / 25

Toronto

Chris Boucher (PF)

Ques Sun Illness - 13 / 04 / 25

Ochai Agbaji (SG)

Ques Fri Rest - 09 / 04 / 25

Jamal Shead (SG)

Ques Fri Rest - 09 / 04 / 25

Jakob Poeltl (C)

Out Sun Hand - 08 / 04 / 25

Ja'Kobe Walter (SG)

Out Sun Hip - 08 / 04 / 25

Scottie Barnes (SF)

Ques Wed Hand - 04 / 04 / 25

Scottie Barnes (SF)

Ques Thurs Finger - 02 / 04 / 25

Jakob Poeltl (C)

Out Sun Rest - 29 / 03 / 25

Immanuel Quickley (SG)

Out Sun Rest - 29 / 03 / 25

Jakob Poeltl (C)

Ques Fri Rest - 26 / 03 / 25

Injuries

L.A. Clippers

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Ivica Zubac (C)	Ques Fri	Ankle - 11 / 04 / 25	3-1	2-2	+ -
Zubac is nursing an ankle injury, and it is unknown if he will play against the Kings on Friday.
Nicolas Batum (SG)	Ques Sat	Groin - 10 / 04 / 25	3-2	3-2	+ -
Batum is dealing with right groin soreness, and it is unclear if he will suit up for the Round 1 game against the Nuggets on Saturday.
Norman Powell (SG)	Ques Fri	Shoulder - 09 / 04 / 25	4-2	4-2	+ -
Powell is dealing with a right shoulder soreness, and it is unclear if he will be available against the Kings on Friday.
Patty Mills (PG)	Ques Mon	Illness - 09 / 04 / 25	4-2	4-2	+ -
Mills is ailing with an illness, and it is unknown if he will be available for playoffs round game 2 against the Nuggets on Monday.
Ben Simmons (SG)	Prob Fri	Knee - 09 / 04 / 25	4-2	4-2	+ -
Simmons is dealing with a shoulder injury, but he is likely to kit up against the Kings on Friday.
Kawhi Leonard (SF)	Ques Wed	Knee - 08 / 04 / 25	4-2	4-2	+ -
Leonard is dealing with a right knee injury, and it is uncertain if he will take the court against the Rockets on Wednesday.
Kawhi Leonard (SF)	Ques Sat	Knee - 05 / 04 / 25	5-3	4-4	+ -
Leonard is dealing with a right knee injury, it is unclear if he will face Mavericks on Saturday.
Seth Lundy (SG)	Ques Mon	Ankle - 04 / 04 / 25	5-3	4-4	+ -
Lundy is nursing with an ankle injury, and it is up in the air if he will take the court for playoffs round game 2 against the Nuggets on Monday.
Ben Simmons (SG)	Ques Sat	Knee - 03 / 04 / 25	6-3	4-5	+ -
Simmons missed the previous contest dealing with a knee injury, and it is uncertain if he will be active against the Mavericks on Saturday.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (SG)	Ques Mon	Knee - 31 / 03 / 25	7-3	5-5	+ -
Bogdanovic is managing a right knee soreness, and it has yet to be determined if he will kit up against the Magic on Monday.

Toronto

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Chris Boucher (PF)	Ques Sun	Illness - 13 / 04 / 25	0-1	1-0	+ -
Boucher is ailing with an illness, and it is unclear if he will suit up against the the Spurs on Sunday.
Ochai Agbaji (SG)	Ques Fri	Rest - 09 / 04 / 25	2-1	3-0	+ -
Agbaji was rested in the previous game, and it is uncertain if he will play against the Mavericks on Friday.
Jamal Shead (SG)	Ques Fri	Rest - 09 / 04 / 25	2-1	3-0	+ -
Shead was rested in the previous game, and it is uncertain if he will play against the Mavericks on Friday.
Jakob Poeltl (C)	Out Sun	Hand - 08 / 04 / 25	2-1	3-0	+ -
Poeltl is dealing with a right hand contusion, and he is unlikely to dress against the Spurs on Sunday.
Ja'Kobe Walter (SG)	Out Sun	Hip - 08 / 04 / 25	2-1	3-0	+ -
Walter is dealing with a right hip soreness, and he is not expected to play against the Spurs on Sunday.
Scottie Barnes (SF)	Ques Wed	Hand - 04 / 04 / 25	2-3	3-2	+ -
Barner is battling with a right hand injury, and it is up in the air if he will face the Hornets on Wednesday.
Scottie Barnes (SF)	Ques Thurs	Finger - 02 / 04 / 25	2-4	4-2	+ -
Barnes is bothered by a finger joint contusion, and it remains to be seen if he will be available against the Trail Blazers on Thursday.
Jakob Poeltl (C)	Out Sun	Rest - 29 / 03 / 25	4-4	5-3	+ -
Poeltl has been rested, and he is not projected to suit up against the 76ers on Sunday.
Immanuel Quickley (SG)	Out Sun	Rest - 29 / 03 / 25	4-4	5-3	+ -
Quickly has been rested, and he is not projected to suit up against the 76ers on Sunday.
Jakob Poeltl (C)	Ques Fri	Rest - 26 / 03 / 25	6-4	5-5	+ -
Poeltl is getting rest, and it is unclear if he will be available versus the Hornets on Friday.