Premiere Sports Betting, Sportsbook Sign Up Bonus

In a one-off game, anything can happen, which is why we so often see underdogs come away with a win in games that they are expected to lose. In the course of a 7-game series, though, it is much tougher for that same underdog to pull off the upset 4 times, as the good teams have a way of finding the right gear and eventually overpowering the lesser teams. To this point in the NBA playoffs, that is exactly what we are seeing, as the higher seeded teams are finding a way to win and move on. Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Game 5 of the series so you can make your bets against their NBA odds.

NBA Portland Trail Blazers at LA Lakers Betting Preview (August 26)

The top seeded team in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks, were stunned in their opener against the Orlando magic, but they have reeled off 3 straight wins and can close out their series today. It is the same story with the LA Lakers, as they have a chance to put away the Portland Trail Blazers tonight after losing the opening game in the series. That final win is oftentimes the toughest to get, though, so can Portland find a way to stay alive? The Lakers are in as a 13 ½ point favorite, with the point total set at 222 ½.

Why bet on the Portland Trail Blazers

Any shot that the Portland Trail Blazers may have had at keeping this series alive may well have gone out the window with the news that Damien Lillard is officially out of this one with a knee injury. No matter how deep a bench may be, it is impossible to replace a guy who is averaging 30 PPG in the postseason. The Trail Blazers have won 12 of their last 14 games on the road (yes, this is considered a home game for the Lakers) against LA, but again, most of those wins came with Lillard in the lineup. The one stat that could come into play here is that Portland has now just covered once on their last 6 games and is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 against the Lakers.

Why bet on the LA Lakers

No team makes it all the way through the postseason without dropping a game or two. For the Lakers, who are the favorites to come out of the Western Conference, losing their opening game to the Trail Blazers may have been exactly what they needed. LA has basically snoozed their way through the 8 regular season games in the bubble, but that Game 1 loss seemed to serve as a definite wake up call. They broke a run of 6 straight games where they did not cover the spread by now covering in each of the last 3. 3 of the 4 games in this series have gone UNDER, with Game 4 being the only one to go OVER. Of note here is that 9 of the last 12 Wednesday games for the Lakers have gone UNDER.

When: Wednesday, August 26 at 9 PM EST
Where: Wide World of Sports, Orlando
Trail Blazers Vs Lakers Live: TNT
Money Lines: Portland +700 / Los Angeles -1100

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Without Lillard in the lineup, I think that there is a very good chance that the Trail Blazers fold in a big way. I am looking at a blowout win for the Lakers, which is why I am on them to cover and the OVER.

Pick: Portland Trail Blazers 106 LA Lakers 124

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?