Getty Images Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers guarding Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been road warriors this season. LA has won 10 of 11 away from home as they stroll into Moda Center Friday night to take on the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers. Carmelo Anthony has found the fountain of youth in Portland. Melo scored 20 points in a 127-116 win over Sacramento on Wednesday for his third 20-point effort in eight games since joining the team.
The Lakers are in the midst of a grueling but successful road trip and are coming off impressive wins of the Jazz and Nuggets on back-to-back nights earlier this week. Anthony Davis scored 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting and fellow star LeBron James had 20 points and 12 assists in Thursday’s 121-96 win in Salt Lake City. 1. The Lakers won the final two meetings between these two teams last season after losing the previous 15 matchups against the Blazers.
ESPN’s FPI gives the Lakers a 58.5% chance of winning this game. We break down the line and offer our best bets and analysis for Friday’s Western Conference matchup between the Lakers and Blazers.
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Lakers vs. Blazers Game Details
Date: Friday, December 6
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
TV: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet, NBCS Northwest
Spread: Lakers -4.5
Total: 225.5
*All lines, odds, and trends are courtesy of Covers & The Action Network
Line Movement
This line opened at Lakers -3.5 and has been bet up to Lakers -4.5 with the majority of bets and money coming in on the road favorite. This line is correlated with the action and has moved with the market.
Betting Trends
- Lakers are 19-3 SU and 13-9 ATS this season
- Blazers are 9-13 SU and 10-11 ATS this season
- Under is 13-9 in Lakers games this season
- Over is 12-10 in Blazers games this season
Analysis & Picks
The Blazers are a resurgent bunch thanks to the addition of Carmelo Anthony, whose scoring presence has vaulted Portland back into playoff contention in the west. But with wins over the Bulls (twice), Thunder and Kings, the Blazers still have a lot to prove when they step up in competition. That’s exactly what is happening on Friday night when the Lakers come into town fresh off two impressive road victories in Denver and Salt Lake City. The line movement favors LA here as this spread has jumped a full point in favor of the Lakers, but I’m not buying it. Portland’s crowd will be fired up for this one on national TV and when at capacity, the Moda Center is one of the most difficult buildings in the league to play in. I expect Melo and company to put forth max effort here and might even steal one against a Lakers team that has overachieved on the road this season. Take the points.
PICK: Blazers +4.5
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Follow Jared Smith on Twitter: @jaredleesmith