NBA Odds – Lakers Need to Make a "Point" vs. Blazers

  • In Charles Jay
  • Wed, Jan 25th, 2017 3:54:07 pm
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Los Angeles Lakers will try to bounce back from a huge defeat as they travel north to face the Portland Trail Blazers in Wednesday night NBA action on ESPN.

The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a promising start this season, winning 10 of their first 20 games. But since then they have gone into sort of a tailspin, losing 22 out of 28, and so this is been a difficult first season at the helm for head coach Luke Walton. On Wednesday night the Lakers will try to rebound from 49-point loss as they encounter the Portland Trail Blazers in a game that will begin it 10:35 PM ET at the Moda Center. BetAnySports customers get reduced juice before the game, giving them better NBA odds, and then they can use Live Betting Ultra to challenge ever-changing numbers throughout the game in real-time.

The Lakers' last outing was a nightmare. They had to go without point guard D'Angelo Russell, who was missing with a sprained knee, and with Brandon Ingram handling the point, they really went nowhere, shooting 38% from the field, while Ingram failed to dish out an assist in 36 minutes. This is not the kind of distribution that is going to keep the Lakers close in many ball games. But there is not a whole lot Walton can do about it, unless he is going to utilize 35-year-old veteran José cCalderon or take somebody like Lou Williams, primarily a shooting guard, and put them at the point.

The Blazers have not played since Saturday, when they defeated the Boston Celtics 127-123 in overtime. That snapped a four-game losing streak, both straight-up and against the points, and now they have had three full days off as they prepare for five-game homestand that includes a date with the Golden State Warriors. But here they get an opportunity to extend their dominance over the Lakers, which is now at 10 straight games.

In the NBA odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, Portland is the decisive favorite at home:

Portland Trail Blazers -8.5
Los Angeles Lakers +8.5

Over 220 points -110
Under 220 points -110

Ingram is 6-foot-9, and together with 6-foot-7 Nick Young, they make for a pretty big starting backcourt. But this also has the potential to be a big defensive liability against Portland's guards, who are smaller but quicker and know how to score. Damien Lillard and CJ McCollum have, together, averaged close to 50 points per game, and Portland coach Terry Stotts likes what he sees out of young power forward Noah Vanleh, so he is likely to stay in the starting lineup.

If the Lakers are going to extract any kind of advantage, it will have to be with "instant offense" off the bench. Lou Williams is actually the team's leading scorer, at more than 18 points per game, and Jordan Clarkson will join him in the backcourt when this team goes to the second unit. The Blazers have some useful people coming off the bench, including Mo Harkless, who has been a starter for most of the season.

BetAnySports patrons recognize that the Lakers have not been able to stop Portland's offense in the two meetings they've had this season. The Blazers took a nine-point decision on their home floor on January 5, then came back five days later at the Staples Center to register a 108-87 victory, surging in the second half while holding the Lakers to only 30 points. In these two games combined, the Blazers have shot better than 52% from the field. They have now covered eight of their last nine meetings against Los Angeles.

Portland comes into this game with a record of 19-27 (both SU and ATS), and they trail the eighth-place Denver Nuggets by one game in the Western Conference. The Lakers are 16-32 straight-up (20-27-1 ATS), and believe it or not, because of the mediocrity at the bottom of the West playoff queue, they are not out of the post-season race, trailing the Nuggets by only 4.5 games.

BetAnySports gives you great perks, including a generous free play bonus, reduced juice to help you get better NBA odds, and the state-of-the-art software of Live Betting Ultra, which keeps you active and in the wagering game all night long...... Remember that you can make deposits using your Visa card, person-to-person transfers or the virtual currency of Bitcoin, and the payouts are as fast as you'll find anywhere in the industry!


Sign-up for the OSGA Newsletter!

Every week get news and updates, exclusive offers and betting tips delivered right to you email inbox.