Rip City – NBA Handicapping Lakers vs Blazers
The Los Angeles Lakers will roll into Rip City on Thursday with Kobe Bryant and all of their titles, but Portland will have the advantage with the best record (4-1) in the Western Conference.
Date/Time: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, January 5, 2012
Venue: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Broadcast: TNT
Spread: -3.5 Portland
Over/Under: 187
The Lakers (4-2) Bryant is just 6-23 in Portland in his career while the Lakers are 4-16 in Portland since 2000, and this game could be a barometer of how the two teams will finish the 2012 season.
The good news for the Lakers is that this is their only trip to Portland this season.
With All-Stars like Bryant and Pau Gasol along with future All-Star Andrew Bynum, the Lakers can never be counted on for being an easy win. Bynum is averaging nearly 23 points and 17 rebounds in his last three outings, including 21 points and 22 rebounds in a victory over Houston on Tuesday. However, he is not immune to the struggles against Portland, averaging 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 11 games.
Meanwhile, the Blazers are unbeaten in three home games at the Rose Garden and have the best record in the Western Conference for the first time since they went 42-18 on March 5, 2001.
Six players are averaging at least 10 points and three averaging at least seven rebounds per game, while Gerald Wallace became the first Trail Blazer to produce a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds) in Tuesday’s win over Oklahoma City.
But all hasn’t been rosy for Portland who have been plagued by the turnover bug, committing 46 turnovers in their previous two games, but did improve with just nine against the Thunder.
Free Pick: Portland —The Trail Blazers will meet their stiffest challenge yet with Los Angeles, and will rely on guard Wesley Matthews, who averages 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds, to help anchor a back court that will need to contain Bryant and Fisher, while Marcus Camby has his hands full with Bynum. Still, I like the Blazers at home here.
