The Portland Trail Blazers visit LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena tonight for a Western Conference showdown as both teams look to end a three-game skid.
My Trail Blazers vs. Lakers predictions are expecting Anthony Davis to have a quiet game here, even if LeBron doesn’t suit up due to a foot injury.
Find out more in my NBA picks for Sunday, December 8.
Trail Blazers vs Lakers prediction
My best bet
Anthony Davis Under 28.5 points (-120 at bet365)
My analysis
Anthony Davis is having a very solid season for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 27.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 53% shooting from the field. He has the highest usage rate on the LA roster, even higher than LeBron James.
However, Davis has cooled off recently. While he did ball out for 38 points in a gut-wrenching loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, the big man failed to surpass the 20-point mark in four of five games before that.
In fact, AD has only hit the Over in points in two of his last eight games. The King may not play here, which means Davis will have a bigger workload. However, he’s also dealing with a sore foot and although he’s probable to take the floor, AD also averaged just 20 PPG against the Portland Trail Blazers last season. Plus, Portland does have a respectable interior defense, allowing only 19.8 points per contest to centers in 2024-25.
Trail Blazers vs Lakers same-game parlay
The Blazers acquired Deni Avdija in a trade with the Washington Wizards in the summer and he’s proven to be a key piece on both ends of the floor for the organization. While his 11.7 PPG is a tad lower than last season’s 14.7, it’s still early. Also, the Over in points for Avdija tonight scream value.
While the Israel-born forward finished with just six points in a blowout loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday, he cashed the Over in nine straight outings prior. That included back-to-back games where Avdija put up 20+ points.
Avdija has started a bit and has also come off the bench. The Lakers tend to struggle to defend small forwards, with opponents averaging 23.6 PPG at the position. Given the trends and LA’s inability to contain SFs, I love this bet.
Perhaps the Lakers aren’t playing great basketball lately and have even been called out by their own head coach, going just 3-7 in their last 10 games. But, LA does typically enjoy success versus the Blazers.
The Purple and Gold have won three consecutive against Portland and five of the last six. The Lakers play well at home as well, going 7-3 as opposed to 5-8 on the road. LeBron in the lineup or not, I don’t see any issues with Los Angeles snapping their cold streak tonight.
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Trail Blazers vs Lakers odds
Trail Blazers vs Lakers live odds
Trail Blazers vs Lakers opening odds
- Spread: Portland +8.5 | Los Angeles -8.5
- Moneyline: Portland +289 | Los Angeles -353
- Over/Under: Over 226 | Under 226
Odds courtesy of bet365
Trail Blazers vs Lakers spread and Over/Under analysis
- Portland owns a 12-10-1 ATS record.
- The Blazers are also 12-9-1 as an ATS underdog.
- The Lakers have gone 6-8-0 as an ATS favorite.
- The Over has cashed in three of the last four meetings.
Trail Blazers vs Lakers trend
The Lakers have hit the Moneyline in 37 of their last 62 games (+17.85 Units / 12% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs Lakers.
How to watch Trail Blazers vs Lakers
Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
Date: | Sunday, 12-8-2024 |
Tip-off: | 9:30 p.m. ET |
TV: | KATU 2.2, Spectrum SportsNet |
Trail Blazers vs Lakers latest injuries
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