Free NBA Pick: Trail Blazers vs. Lakers NBA Odds
Looking for Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Trail Blazers taking on the Lakers on Sunday, October 23, 2022 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Trail Blazers-Lakers matchup.
2022 NBA Handicapping
(2-0) Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers (0-2)
Date: Sunday, October 23
Time: 3:30 PM EST
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
NBA Moneyline Odds: Trail Blazers +133 | Lakers -163 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: LAL -4
NBA Betting Total: 223.5
The Blazers entered this season considered a middle-of-the-pack team having to scrap its way into the playoffs, let alone the play-in. There are some who believe the Lakers enter in the same tier, but there are far more who believe Los Angeles will (or at least should) end up in a real title chase by the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
As of this writing, the Lakers’ championship odds sit at +3600, while Portland’s title odds are +21000.
L.A. should prove the better value when it’s all said and done even at that current discrepancy, but that gap doesn’t reflect where the two teams are entering Game 3 of the new season.
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard proved me wrong on Friday breaking out of his slump against a tough Phoenix team. He went for 41 points, including a career-best 28 first-half points, and he finished the game 12-of-25 from the field, 5-of-12 from deep and a perfect 12-of-12 from the stripe.
“I felt like that was the breakthrough moment for me,” he said, according to The Oregonian’s Aaron Fentress.
When it came down to it, it was Lillard letting Anfernee Simons take the final shot. Simons, who had struggled up to that point at just 4-of-16 shooting, dribbled into the lane and put the Suns away with a floating hook of sorts. It wasn’t his prettiest game, but it was a sign that not only is Lillard Back but his supporting cast and co-star can relieve the pressure when it counts.
Against the Lakers, Portland needs a better balance between Lillard taking over and getting everyone else involved. Trusting your co-star in crunch time is crucial for long-term development, but the Blazers will be vulnerable on a game-to-game basis if it’s the Dame Show night in and night out.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers would be best off if they get past the experimental stage of their lineup and rotation and commit to something long-term.
They’d also be better off if they ditch the Russell Westbrook “experiment” by trading him sooner rather than later, but we’ll leave that topic for another day.
So far, L.A. hasn’t done anything to prove it can be a title contender. LeBron looks reliable as ever, and getting production out of supporting cast members like Lonnie Walker doesn’t hurt, but there are too many questions for a team that is supposedly title or bust.
Luckily for the Lakers, the Blazers aren’t on the same level the Warriors or Clippers are—their first two opponents who had little trouble with them.
The Blazers have looked gritty so far, but they also present a chance for L.A. to prove it’s on a different level than the middle-of-the-pack groups despite their record.
NBA Betting Trends:
- Trail Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
- Lakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
- Lakers are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 Sunday games.
- Under is 5-0 in Trail Blazers last 5 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Lakers last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Free Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Prediction:
The Lakers project to to be the better team when all is said and done this season, but right now, it’s the Blazers with momentum.
If Lillard has another productive game while also getting better production out of his rookie sidekick Shaedon Sharpe, better production from Anfernee Simons in quarers 1-3 and continued production from Jusuf Nurkic, it’s easy to see them playing the role of road spoiler.
We’ll play it “safe” taking the Blazers against the spread, but if you’re feeling them on the moneyline, you won’t get any argument here.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Blazers +4
If you’re looking for more NBA picks like this Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers matchup we’ll be providing 4* free NBA predictions on the blog during the entire NBA season, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free NBA predictions!
Register here for a FREE NBA Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers!