The Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers match up in a marquee battle on Friday evening. The game is set for a national television broadcast in prime time, with both teams looking to stop losing streaks. Portland has lost three games in a row, with Los Angeles losing four straight games in its own right. Anthony Davis (calf) is out for the Lakers, with CJ McCollum (foot) and Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) out for the Blazers.
Tip-off is at 10 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Lakers as 5.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 222 in the latest Blazers vs. Lakers odds. Before you make any Lakers vs. Blazers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model also is up almost $8,700 on top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it enters Week 10 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 85-49 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Blazers vs. Lakers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Lakers vs. Blazers:
- Blazers vs. Lakers spread: Lakers -5.5
- Blazers vs. Lakers over-under: 222 points
- Blazers vs. Lakers money line: Lakers -215, Blazers +185
- POR: The Blazers are 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games
- LAL: The Lakers are 2-8 against the spread in the last 10 games
Latest Odds:
Los Angeles Lakers
-5.5
Why the Trail Blazers can cover
Injuries have affected the Blazers throughout the season, but Portland’s overall play has stabilized thanks to the play of Damian Lillard. The All-NBA guard is averaging 29.6 points and 8.0 assists per game, putting pressure on the opposition for every minute that he is on the floor. Lillard is the central reason that Portland currently ranks seventh-best in the NBA in offensive rating (115.2 points per 100 possessions), and he creates avenues for others.
The Blazers are also No. 2 in the league in ball security, turning the ball over on only 11.5 percent of possessions, and Portland is an above-average offensive rebounding team, creating extra shots. Defensively, the Blazers excel at limiting points off turnovers, giving up only 14.7 points per game, and the Lakers are also prone to giveaways, committing a turnover on 15.2 percent of possessions this season.
Why the Lakers can cover
Los Angeles is currently the best defensive team in the NBA, limiting opponents to just 1.06 points per possession this season. That also coincides with a defensively dominant effort on the way to the 2020 NBA title, and the Lakers rank in the top five in both shooting efficiency allowed and free throw rate allowed defensively. Los Angeles has great size, leading the NBA with 8.1 blocked shots per game, and the Lakers are also a top-10 group in defensive rebounding, grabbing 74.2 percent of available rebound chances.
On the offensive side, the Lakers are a top-10 team in shooting efficiency and free throw rate, and they are facing a Blazers team that is well below-average in myriad defensive categories. In fact, Portland is 29th in the NBA in defensive rating, yielding 1.16 points per possession to its opponents.
How to make Lakers vs. Blazers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting both teams combine for 226 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Blazers vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.