The Portland Trail Blazers will host the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that will significantly impact this year's playoff seeding. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Lakers – Blazers pick.
The Lakers and the Blazers currently have the same record at 37-29, so whoever comes up short will drop to the seventh seed, and if that holds, they would have to play the eighth seed in this year's play-in tournament.
The @LAClippers move up to #3 in the West!
Teams ranked 7-10 will participate in the #StateFarmPlayIn Tournament after the regular season (May 18-21) to secure the final two spots in the Playoffs for each conference. pic.twitter.com/OPfjTqvlO2
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2021
These two franchises have already seen each other twice this year and have split the season series at 1-1.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Lakers- Blazers NBA odds.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Blazers Odds
Los Angeles Lakers +8 (-105)
Portland Trail Blazers -8 (-115)
Over 221.5 Points (-110)
Under 221.5 Points (-110)
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The defending Champions are looking more fragile than ever right now — literally and figuratively. They have lost seven of their last ten games and are coming off a 113-94 loss to their inner-city rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, in their last outing.
In that game against the Clippers, Anthony Davis played only nine minutes, scoring four points before leaving the game with back spasms. However, Davis stated in the post-game conference that he believes he will be ready to play against the Blazers.
Anthony Davis said his plan is to play tomorrow night at Portland.
He said his back feels better now after getting treatment on it during the game.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 7, 2021
If they are to cover Friday's spread, it will be less about Anthony Davis' availability and more about LA's role players. With the Lakers still without LeBron James, Dennis Schroder, and Talen Horton-Tucker, they have struggled to find a way to score points. According to cleanigntheglass.com, the Lakers rank 25th out of 30 teams in offensive efficiency over the last two weeks with 106.8 points per 100 possession. All the absences are certainly one reason as to why the NBA odds favor the Blazers by so much in this contest.
The biggest bright spot for the Lakers during this awful stretch has been Kyle Kuzma. The 25-year-old has scored at least 24 points in two of his last three games. He will need to have a huge game tonight if the Lakers are to cover the spread and have a chance at holding onto the sixth seed for another night.
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers, the Portland Trail Blazers are heading into the last stretch of the season playing winning basketball. They have won five of their last six games and are coming off a 141 -105 blowout victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last outing.
Trail Blazers defeat Cavs 141-105
Portland goes 5-1 on the road trip
Damian Lillard 32 points, 9 assists
Enes Kanter 18pts/13reb
Nurkic 15pts/11rebNext up: 1900 or so fans at the Moda Center on Friday vs Lakers#RipCity
— Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) May 6, 2021
While the Lakers struggle to put up points, the Blazers are the opposite. Over the last two weeks, the Blazers are ranked first in the NBA in offensive efficiency with 126.7 points per 100 possession, via cleaningtheglass.com.
Damian Lillard should have a field day against this Lakers lineup. In his first two games against the Lakers this season, he has averaged 33 points and six assists on 54.2% shooting. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lillard drop a 30 point double-double.
Expect the Blazers to run the offense through Lillard as they have all season and get strong production from other players like CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. If the clock strikes “Dame Time” at any time, this one could get ugly.
Final Lakers-Blazers Prediction & Pick
Considering the Blazers are 34-32 against the spread this season while the Lakers are 39-36-1, statistics favor the Blazers. On top of that, the Lakers have explicitly said they are less concerned about playoff seeding and more concerned about making sure all their key players will be healthy, meaning that Davis may be on a minutes restriction even if he is good to go.
The NBA odds favor the Blazers tonight and for all the above reasons, the Blazers should cover the spread and move into the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR LAKERS-BLAZERS: LAL 98, POR 109 (POR-8)
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