The Los Angeles Lakers have responded to a season-opening defeat to the Clippers with a pair of resounding victories. They’ll try to make it three in a row when they visit Dame Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, but will the Lakers be without their dynamic duo for this one?
Sportsbooks have the Lakers as 3.5-point favorites, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both questionable for this matchup. Can Dame and bettors take advantage if they’re out?
We break down the NBA odds with our free Trail Blazers vs. Lakers picks and predictions for Monday, December 28, with tipoff scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET.
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview
Key Injuries
Trail Blazers: Carmelo Anthony F (Out), Zach Collins F (Out).
Lakers: LeBron James F (Questionable), Anthony Davis F (Questionable), Alex Caruso G (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Over is 5-1 in the last six regular-season meetings between the Trail Blazers and Lakers. Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Lakers.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
The Lakers were handed a season-opening loss from what looked like a pissed-off Clippers team, but followed that up with resounding wins over the Mavericks and Timberwolves. But they head into tonight’s matchup against the Blazers a little banged-up and on the tail end of a back-to-back.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel came out after Sunday’s win over Minnesota and said LeBron James and Alex Caruso are both questionable to play in this game, while Anthony Davis was already questionable after missing the game against Minny with a calf injury.
The Blazers, on the other hand, are coming off their first win of the season. A back-and-forth contest against the Rockets which they eventually won in overtime. Portland is also dealing with some injuries as Carmelo Anthony will be out, and they don’t expect to have Zach Collins back until mid January.
But we were treated to out Dame-C.J. “takeover” game of the season and Lillard and backcourt mate C.J. McCollum went off for a combined 76 points, which included McCollum going 9-16 from 3-point range.
This game is a rematch from the opening round of the playoffs in the bubble, where the Lakers won soundly in five games. But as opposed to then, L.A. has little motivation for this one. Keep an eye on the injuries. If LeBron and AD sit this one, jump on the Blazers fast. Hold off until we know their status for sure though.
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers +3.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
The total for this matchup is on the board at 225 as of Monday morning, and it might be a little higher if we knew the status of James and Davis, but if they go or not, we still might be able to attack the Over.
That’s mostly because Lillard and McCollum are capable of going off at a moment's notice, combined with the fact that the Blazers look like they will struggle on the defensive end of the floor again this season. Portland has allowed opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the floor so far, and are getting out rebounded by a large margin.
Obviously, James and Davis are a big factor there, but the Lakers still have some capable scorers, big bodies and a deep bench. They should be able to muster some offense against a feeble Blazers defense. With or without the big boys, we’re betting the Over.
PREDICTION: Over 225 (-110)
Player Prop Pick
It’s a small sample size, but C.J. McCollum has been the Blazers' best scorer through two games this season. McCollum is averaging 33.5 points per game and is shooting 50 percent from deep. And despite the quick ousting in the playoffs back in August, McCollum was one of the Blazers to have success in that series, averaging 23.2 points per game. With the Lakers maybe not caring so much about this game as those ones, McCollum is a good bet to stay hot, meaning his point total is a little low.
PREDICTION: C.J. McCollum Over 21.5 Points (-111)
Trail Blazers vs Lakers Betting Card
- Trail Blazers +3.5 (-110)
- Over 225 (-110)
- C.J. McCollum Over 21.5 Points (-111)
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