The set-up: Two teams hungry for victories collide here. Toronto would love nothing more than to "show up" King James after taking so many beatdowns when he played for the Cavaliers over the years. The Lakers are off a big win over the Bulls on the road and they won't be going down without a fight here either. With Toronto looking to embarrass James and run up the score, and with the visitors needing to match pace, I do indeed think that from an overall situational stand point, that this one sets up beautifully as a higher-scoring shootout.

The pick: Take it for what you will as well though, but LA has seen the total go "over" the number in four of its last five trying to revenge a home loss vs. an opponent of ten or more points, while Toronto has seen the total fly over in three of its last four off a road loss by ten points or more. For all the reasons listed above, play the "over."

8* play