The Los Angeles Lakers got Damian Lillard-ed in Game 1, as they fell behind early in the series against the Portland Trail Blazers with a loss last Tuesday. Will the Lakers recover their moxie and tie the series up on Thursday? Or will the Blazers push the Lakers nearer to the cliff of elimination? Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers NBA Playoffs Round 1 Game 2 on August 20, 2020
Where: Walt Disney World, Orlando
When: Thursday, August 20, 2020, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Portland Trail Blazers (+6.5) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-6.5) – view all 2020 NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers (+6.5)
Regular Season Record: 35-39
Damian Lillard sent the Lakers a memo in Game 1, stating that Dame Time has spilled over into the playoffs. Lillard sparked the Blazers’ upset 100-93 win over the Lakers in the series opener with 34 points, including six 3-pointers and a perfect 10-for-10 line from the free throw line. The Blazers abused Los Angeles’ flimsy defense against their guards, with CJ McCollum also scoring 21 points. That area of the Lakers’ defense has long been an issue for the team ever since the NBA restart, further highlighting how much LA is missing Avery Bradley. But it’s not just the guards the Lakers are having trouble with against Portland. Jusuf Nurkic and Hassan Whiteside gave LA lots of headaches in Game 1, as Portland made sure it had an elite center on the floor all the time. Nurkic finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Whiteside scored just seven points, but swatted away five Lakers shots. That kind of talent depth at the center position is a luxury the Blazers have and the Lakers don’t.
The Blazers are 6-3-1 against the spread in their last 10 games.
Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers (-6.5)
Regular Season Record: 52-19
LA Lakers Betting Guide: View here (it’s free!)
The Lakers got almost everything they want from Anthony Davis and LeBron James. They also got something from Danny Green and nothing at all from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Davis scored 28 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, while James had a triple-double of 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 16 assists. Davis and James are tremendous for the Lakers, but even then, they will not survive in the playoffs with Caldwell-Pope scoring zero points on 0-of-9 shooting from the floor just like he did in Game 1. Another such anemic performance could force Lakers head coach Frank Vogel to make adjustments, like, maybe, giving JR Smith a try. The Lakers also need their outside shooting to show up after going 5 for 32 from deep in Game 1. The Lakers have been cold in that area since hitting Orlando, as they are knocking down just 30.3 percent of their 3-point shots since the restart.
The over is 3-1 in the Lakers’ last four games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Lakers win, 114-108.
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