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Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
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Expert Picks
Portland was by far the most improved team entering the bubble because of the return of The Bosnian Beast, Jusuf Nurkic. His return added 4.5 points to the team's power rating. Carmelo Anthony came back in better shape, and now Portland has four go-to scorers plus a solid bench. The Lakers will be fired up, mad, focused and looking for revenge. But are they that much better than Portland? Not the way they are playing right now. I think the Blazers win the first quarter and first half and are close late in the game. Lakers 111, Blazers 109.
The Portland Blazers have made a habit with high-energetic comeback wins. In their last four games they’ve needed fourth quarter comebacks against the Mavericks, Nets, Grizzlies and Lakers. That’s a pattern a team does not want to be in against a Lakers team with its backs against the wall. Grab the Lakers to play as a true No. 1 seed tonight.
You have to think that at some point, all of these stressful games Portland has played will catch up with the Blazers. Until then, ride the wave. The Lakers are fragile and LeBron James knows it. Too many points here, take the dog!
The Blazers might be a bad defensive team, but they somehow held the Lakers to 93 points during their win in Game 1. I still think the Lakers are the superior team and will win this series, but they haven’t played well in Orlando. Meanwhile, the Blazers have won seven of their 10 games inside the bubble and none of their three losses were by more than five points. Even if they don’t win, I think they keep this close enough to where I like taking the points.