The Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers face off with playoff seeding on the line on Friday night, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, moneyline odds and over-under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet on BetMGM.
The game tips off at 10 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.
The Lakers and Blazers are tied on record (37-29) with just six games remaining in the season, and are together in a battle with the Dallas Mavericks (38-28) to try and avoid falling into the NBA’s play-in tournament. The Lakers currently sit in sixth in the Western Conference ahead of the No. 7 Blazers on a tiebreaker, but Friday’s game will have a huge impact on the standings.
The Lakers will be missing LeBron James and Dennis Schroder, and could also be without Anthony Davis, who left Thursday’s loss to the Clippers with back spasms. Davis said after the game that he “should be able to go,” but his status remains unclear.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
- Point spread: Blazers -8.5
- Money line: Blazers -375 / Lakers +290
- Over-under: 221.5
Place your legal, online sports bets in VA, CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.
Advice and prediction
Such a large spread seems to indicate that bettors are expecting Anthony Davis to miss Friday’s game, which is a solid assumption. Still, he told reporters on Thursday that he planned to play against the Blazers, and if he does take the floor, Lakers +8.5 is an attractive option.
The Blazers, however, are playing solid basketball at just the right time of the season. They’ve won five of their last six games and have gone 5-1 against the spread in that span. This is a team that just beat four playoff teams consecutively by double-digits, including a 19-point win over the Brooklyn Nets. With the Lakers likely short-handed and on a back-to-back, I’m taking the Blazers here to continue their run.
Prediction: Blazers 123, Lakers 109
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
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