Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Pick – NBA, August 22, 2020

After a surprising 100-93 loss in the opener, the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers this past Thursday. The Lakers dominated the Trail Blazers since the tip-off and grabbed an important 111-88 victory.

The series continues Saturday, August 22, with Game 3 and the Trail Blazers as an official home team. But as you probably know, all playoff games will be played at the neutral site and without the audience on the stands. 

Will the Lakers remain on the winning path? Can the Trail Blazers pull off another upset this postseason? Game 3 starts at 8:30 PM ET, so here’s my best Lakers vs. Trail Blazers betting pick for Saturday night.

The Trail Blazers upset the odds in the opener, playing as 6.5-point dogs with a total of 234 points, while they were 7-point dogs with a total of 230 points in Game 2. The bookies think there’s no reason to make any changes, so the Lakers opened as 7-point favorites once again.

The totals have been dropping down. After a couple of low-scoring affairs, the bookies set the line at 225.5 points in this one. You could also check out the best NBA betting sites and find out more about the alternative lines.

The opener was quite a painful experience for the Lakers. They shot only 35.1% from the field and 15.6% from beyond the arc. At least, they played solid defense, while the Lakers completely locked down the Trail Blazers in Game 2.

Anthony Davis had 31 points and 11 rebounds Thursday, proving he’s a key guy in this series. Lebron James added just 10 points to go with six boards, seven dimes, and six turnovers, so the Lakers can be happy with the outcome, considering King James’ performance.

The Lakers were so dominant in Game 2 that their head coach Frank Vogel used all 13 players. Fatigue could be a very important factor this postseason, and each team will need its best players fresh and healthy.

When it comes to freshness, the Trail Blazers could be in trouble. They’ve been playing under huge pressure since the first day in the bubble. Hereof, the Trail Blazers could easily struggle with fatigue.

After an excellent performance in the opener, the Trail Blazers fell apart Thursday. They shot 40.0% from the field and 27.6% from beyond the arc while handing out only 14 assists. It was an awful performance on both sides of the ball, and the Trail Blazers trailed by as many as 33 points.

Damian Lillard should be ready to go after dislocating a finger, and he had just 18 points and an assist in Game 2 while shooting 1-for-7 from downtown. Carmelo Anthony scored two points; Jusuf Nurkic had nine points and eight boards, and C.J. McCollum added 13 points and three assists.

The Trail Blazers have been terrible last time out and should do a better job in Game 3. However, I don’t think they have enough fuel to eliminate the Lakers. Anthony Davis will continue to dominate this series in the paint, while the Lakers are undoubtedly a better defensive team than the Trail Blazers.

Therefore, give me the Lakers to cover a 5-point spread.

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