We're back once again with coverage of Saturday's NBA slate as we take a look at this upcoming Western Conference nightcap. The Los Angeles Lakers (24-15) will take on the Portland Trail Blazers (20-22) for the rubber match of their season series, tied 1-1. Check our NBA odds series for the Lakers-Blazers prediction and pick.
The Los Angeles Lakers are fifth in the Western standings, most recently falling 135-117 to the Charlotte Hornets. They've lost four of their last five games and will now be out Luka Doncic, but they still come in the short betting underdog on the road against Portland.
The Portland Trail Blazers are ninth in the Western Conference, most recently taking down the Atlanta Hawks 117-101. They've won six of their last eight overall including six wins over their last seven home games, so expect the Trail Blazers to carry some confidence heading into this one.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Lakers vs. Blazers Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +3.5 (-112)
Portland Trail Blazers: -3.5 (-108)
Over: 223.5 (-112)
Under: 223.5 (-108)
Lakers vs. Blazers Key Injuries
Los Angeles: Deandre Ayton (knee – Questionable) / Jaxson Hayes (hamstring – Questionable) / Luka Doncic (groin – OUT) / Austin Reaves (calf – OUT) / Adou Thiero (knee – OUT)
Portland: Jerami Grant (achilles – Questionable) / Jrue Holiday (calf – Questionable) / Deni Avdija (back – Doubtful) / Scoot Henderson (hamstring – OUT) / Damian Lillard (achilles – OUT) / Kris Murray (back – OUT) / Matisse Thybulle (knee – OUT) / Blake Wesley (foot – OUT)
Keys to Lakers vs. Blazers Matchup
The Los Angeles Lakers were stunned by the Hornets in their last games despite 39 points from Luka Doncic. They'll be without him in this game in addition to already struggling without Austin Reaves in the lineup, so they may have to rely on LeBron James for another vintage performance scoring and passing the ball. Rookie Jake LaRavia has stepped up big with injuries to the starting lineup, recently posting a career-high 18 points in a win for the Lakers. Expect him to get some additional run with Deandre Ayton nursing an injury heading into this game.
The Lakers haven't had the same spark without Austin Reaves in their lineup and now they'll be out the leading scorer in the league. Doncic has led his team in scoring eight of their last 11 games, so they'll certainly be disadvantaged on offense against a Portland team that's been hot from the field. The good news, however, is that LeBron James served as the leading scorer in all other games, likely needing to do so again to have a chance in this one. James is averaging 6.9 APG, which is typically low for his usual standards, but expect him to be the main facilitator and ball handler during this outing.
The Trail Blazers will have a number of players nursing nagging injuries, but they performed extremely well in their last win over the Atlanta Hawks. Jerami Grant was instrumental in preserving the lead throughout the second half and Jru Holiday managed to score clutch buckets in the third quarter to keep the Hawks from coming back.
More impressively, Blazers' Donovan Clingan was massive with 12 rebounds over the Hawks, seriously controlling the boards down the stretch for his team. He's posted totals of 12-9-8-15 over his last four games including a clutch three-pointer while salting away their last win. If he's able to continue having that kind of two-way impact, he should be in for an advantageous matchup in this game.
Lakers vs. Blazers Prediction and Pick
The Lakers will be hard-pressed to find a win without Luka Doncic in this game despite the fact they're a solid 4-3 without him in the lineup this season. Those games were instances where Austin Reaves took over the guard scoring, so it'll be up to LeBron James to carry his team to a win without both players in the lineup.
While the Trail Blazers may be a bit banged up, I expect both Holiday and Grant to be able to play ahead of this game. With Donovan Clingan dominating the paint and Deni Avdija's return right around the corner, things should pick up for Portland during the second half of the season. For our final prediction, let's roll with them to cover this spread at home as the total falls under.
Final Lakers-Blazers Prediction & Pick: Portland Trail Blazers -3.5 (-108); UNDER 223.5 (-108)
