Trail Blazers vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
Wednesday night is already the third meeting of the young season between the Trail Blazers and Lakers. It’s the first one in Los Angeles.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Wednesday starts a six-game road trip for Portland, its second-longest of the season. It wraps up a quick two-game homestand for Los Angeles before heading east for three games.
LeBron James made his Lakers regular-season debut on Oct. 18 in Portland, and the Blazers won 128-119. LeBron did his part with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but L.A. was just 7-for-30 from three-point range. The Blazers star backcourt duo of Damian Lillard (28) and CJ McCollum (21) combined for 49 points.
The Lakers went back to Portland on Nov. 3 and ended a 16-game losing streak in the series overall with a 114-110 win – the Trail Blazers haven’t lost since. James had 28 points and seven assists. Rajon Rondo added 17 points and 10 assists off the bench for the Lakers, who used a 16-0 run in the third quarter to take a 17-point lead. Lillard and McCollum each had 30 points in the loss. Portland’s 16-game winning streak was its second-longest over any opponent in franchise history, following a 17-gamer against the Clippers from 1986-89.
Since 1989, the Lakers have won just five season series against the Trail Blazers. The favorite is 11-4 ATS in the past 15 meetings.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers won a fourth straight game on Sunday, 100-94 over the Boston Celtics to complete their six-game homestand at 5-1. Lillard had 19 points – he will soon become the third all-time leading scorer in franchise history — and McCollum just 14. Jusuf Nurkic was Portland’s best player in that one with 18 points and 17 rebounds. The Blazers held the Celtics to just 38.7 per cent shooting from the field and dominated on the boards. They lead the NBA in rebounding and are Top 10 in offence (115.8 ppg) and defence (106.2 ppg). With Denver’s recent slump, the Blazers are first in the Northwest Division. Portland is 6-1 ATS in its past seven vs. the West.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are over .500 for the first time this year following a 107-106 win over visiting Atlanta on Sunday. James had 26 points (including the game-winning dunk with 15 seconds remaining), seven rebounds and four assists. Ho-hum, he’s putting up 26.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. Kyle Kuzma added 18 points and eight rebounds and Lonzo Ball eight points and 11 assists. The Lakers have really improved on the boards and defensively since adding Tyson Chandler after he was released by Phoenix. He doesn’t play heavy minutes but definitely is contributing off the bench. The last time the Lakers were over .500 in the regular season was after a 111-109 home win over the Thunder on Nov. 22, 2016 that left them at 8-7. Only two players from that team are still around: Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac. Current Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was still a player agent. L.A. is 0-4 ATS in its past four at home.
