There are few teams that rank with the Los Angeles Lakers as far as public appeal and marquee branding. Only the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers from Major League Baseball along with the Dallas Cowboys from the National Football League can compare. With that name brand status comes high prices on the board. Oddsmakers know that squares flock to bet the Lakers as favorites and adjust the prices accordingly. All of which means that its hard for LA to turn a profit vs. the line, even in their most successful seasons. One of the best teams in the NBA Bubble have been the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland won seven of their nine games to steal the last playoff spot from the Memphis Grizzlies.
This best of seven Western Conference playoff series will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. Tip-off for game one is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 and will be broadcast on TNT. You can bet on NBA Odds at Bookmaker.eu for the remainder of the season.
Series Winner Odds
Portland Trail Blazers +409
Los Angeles Lakers -508
Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Series Schedule
Game 1: Tuesday, August 18, 9 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2: Thursday, August 20, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3: Saturday, August 22, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4: Monday, August 24, 9 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5: Wednesday, August 26, TBD
Game 6: Friday, August 28, TBD
Game 7: Sunday, August 30, TBD
Futures Odds Analysis
The Los Angeles Lakers opened as a -550 favorite in this series with the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland is a +425 underdog.
The Lakers are +260 to win the NBA championship and +160 to win the Western Conference title. Portland is +6000 for the NBA title and +3000 for the Western Conference championship.
Of course, the Lakers are strong favorites for this series and would have been regardless of opponent. And its equally true that the Lakers should win this series without much problem. Ultimately the handicapping concern will be if the price is worth tying your money up on and what is the actual upset potential of the Trail Blazers.
Head to Head Results
The Lakers were 2-1 straight up and against the spread against Portland this season. All three games went over the total.
Key Stats
Los Angeles is top seed in the Western Conference because of a remarkable defensive improvement. Head coach Frank Vogel brought a level of credibility that was lacking last year under Luke Walton. Los Angeles ranks third in the Association for defense. Vogel’s ability to sell a full court game has been instrumental in the Lakers turnaround.
On the other hand, Portland has to outscore opponents. The Trail Blazers rank sixth in the Association for scoring. Offsetting that is a defense ranked 26th in the NBA.
Players to Watch
PF Anthony Davis proved to be the link that was missing for the Lakers and LeBron last season. Davis has taken much of the pressure and workload off of The King. This year Davis led the Lake Show with 26.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Of course, LeBron James did his part to lead the Lakers with 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per outing. James was inspired by the “Last Dance” documentary of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty. He wants a championship this year and was instrumental in getting the NBA back to action in order to facilitate that.
SG Damian Lillard willed Portland into the playoffs with an astounding 30 points per game.
NBA Odds Pick
The price is prohibitive but that is because the Lakers will be hard pressed to blow this series. There is no value in a dog with an attractive price if they really don’t merit a chance to win and that is the case here.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers
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