Trail Blazers vs. Lakers Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
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Andrew Rogers
The Lakers return home and play their first game at Staples Center since the tragic death of franchise legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. It’s sure to be an emotional night with plenty of tributes for the Mamba. LeBron James and Co. hope to cap the night with a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Blazers are coming off a 125-112 win home win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Portland is a on a two-game winning thanks to a win earlier in the week against the Indiana Pacers. It marks just the second time since December 23rd the Blazers have won consecutive games.
Portland is 5-3 straight up in its last eight games but just 3-5 against the spread over the same stretch. The club is still three games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
The Blazers were finalists in the Western Conference playoffs a season ago, but they’re just 21-27 SU and 18-28-2 against the number a year later. The Over is 5-1 in the squad’s last six games and 3-1 in the last four games between these two sides.
Los Angeles hasn’t played since Saturday night after the NBA decided to postpone its game against the Clippers on Tuesday. The Lakers went 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS on their five-game road trip. They’re now 36-10 SU and 24-21-1 ATS on the season.
The Purple and Gold remain the favourites to win this year’s NBA title at +300. The Clippers (+310) and Bucks (+333) are their chief contenders according to the oddsmakers.
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard is tied for the league high 443 points scored this month with Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Lillard has played played two fewer games though and leads the NBA in scoring average in January at 33.1 points per game.
He was up to his old tricks on Wednesday night against the Rockets. Lillard hit six of his 12 attempts from 3-point range including two near the midcourt logo.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Laker players haven’t been doing much talking to the media this week following the death of Kobe Bryant. Head coach Frank Vogel was the lone representative available to the media both on Wednesday and Friday. He told reporters the players have been lost in preparation for Saturday’s game the last two days as a form of therapy.