Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers Betting Odds

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The Portland Trail Blazers (37-26) take on the Los Angeles Lakers (28-34) look to extend their winning streaks when they go head-to-head at Staples Center. The Trail Blazers have won six consecutive games, while the Lakers are on a five-game winning streak. The games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 223 points with Portland opening as a 2-point favorite. Action starts at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday, March 5, 2018, and it can be seen on NBATV.

Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers ATS Preview

The Trail Blazers were victorious over the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last matchup, 108-100. CJ McCollum was Portland’s leading scorer with 28 points on 10-for-20 shooting. Portland played a nearly perfect game. They had a great offensive rebounding percentage of 31.1 (above their season average of 22.7) and a free throw rate of 0.216 (above their season average of 0.193). For those same stats, Oklahoma City was 21.4 and 0.154, respectively.

In the Lakers last game, they beat the San Antonio Spurs, 116-112. Los Angeles was lifted by Lonzo Ball, who put up 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Los Angeles dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.228 (above their season average of 0.181) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.516 (above their season average of 0.516). For those same stats, San Antonio was 0.173 and 0.485, respectively.

The offense of Los Angeles will clash against the elite defense of Portland. The Lakers rank 25th in offensive efficiency, while the Trail Blazers are seventh in defensive efficiency. The Trail Blazers should have the edge on that end of the court.

In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Portland games have gone under 57.1 percent of the time, while 56.5 percent of games involving Los Angeles have gone over. The Trail Blazers have the superior straight up (SU) record (37-26 vs. 28-34), but the Lakers hold the significant advantage against the spread (ATS) (35-27 vs. 32-25-6).

Julius Randle and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have played well over the last five games for Los Angeles. Randle has averaged 19.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while Caldwell-Pope has put up 18.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

These two teams have met twice already this season, with the Trail Blazers winning both. Shabazz Napier put up 21 points and five assists in the most recent game, in which the Trail Blazers beat the Lakers 95-92, covering as 3-point underdogs. The two teams combined for 187 points, which was 13.5 points below the projected point total of 200.5 points. Portland had a much better turnover percentage (9.8 vs. 15.3). Los Angeles, on the other hand, had a better free throw rate (0.141 vs. 0.074).

Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers Prediction

Pick: SU Winner – Trail Blazers, ATS Winner – Trail Blazers, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • The Trail Blazers rank 11th in second chance points per game (12.9) while the Lakers rank last in second chance points allowed per game (13.7).
  • Portland averages 45.0 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. Los Angeles ranks 24th in rebounds allowed per game (45.0).
  • Portland averages 5.1 blocks per game, which ranks eighth in the league. Los Angeles ranks 26th in blocks allowed per game (5.7).
  • Los Angeles ranks 16th in points off turnovers per game (16.5) while Portland ranks 26th (14.7).
  • Portland is 17-12-3 ATS on the road, while Los Angeles is 17-12 ATS at home.
  • The Trail Blazers have 19 unders and 13 overs in 32 road games.
  • Of the Lakers 29 home games, they have 16 overs and 13 unders.
  • Portland is 20-5 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Los Angeles is 11-3.
  • When scoring more than 100 points, the Lakers are 25-21 and the Trail Blazers are 32-13.
  • The Trail Blazers rank fourth in three pointers allowed per game (26.5) while the Lakers rank 22nd (30.2).
  • Los Angeles ranks second in fast break points per game (17.3) while Portland ranks last (7.6).
  • The Trail Blazers rank fourth in points allowed in the paint per game (42.1) while the Lakers rank 29th (48.8).
  • The Lakers rank 12th in steals per game (8.1) while the Trail Blazers rank 27th (7.0).
  • Los Angeles ranks sixth in assists per game (23.9) while Portland ranks last (19.1).

Betting Trends:

  • Los Angeles is 5-0 ATS with 5 overs in their last five games.
  • Over their last five games, Portland is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
  • The Lakers have outscored opponents by an average of 13.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Los Angeles has been defeated by an average of 1.6 points.
  • During their last five games, the Trail Blazers have scored an average of 107.6 points per game (2.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 96.6 points per game (6.8 below their season average).