Tonight the Portland Trail Blazers will be taking on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Blazers are playing tonight without Damian Lilliard. The Blazers have played several games without Dame. Tonight, there shouldn’t be an adjustment period without him in the lineup.
The Blazers are in the middle of the pack in offensive ratings. It's an improvement from where they were last season. They have dynamic guards who can score with the best of them. They will present issues for the Lakers tonight. The Lakers are currently in the top 10 in defensive ratings, but it's misleading as they have struggled this season.
The Portland Trail Blazers are underdogs at the money line at +190. The Lakers have been playing better basketball even though they are coming off a tough loss to the Pacers on Monday night.
The Blazers have favorable matchups at the guard position. They have young athletic guards that will be difficult for the Lakers to contain. Nurkic is a load-down low. He will give some problems for the Lakers in the paint as AD tends to have trouble playing against physical big men.
Prediction: Blazers, +190
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers will be going up against the Utah Jazz tonight. The Clippers will be playing without a number of their main guys. A few of their stars are out with injuries. The Clippers are used to playing without George and Kawhi. Last season they had to figure it out without both of those guys. It has made playing without them easier as players can take on larger offensive and defensive roles.
The Clippers will be the pick here at the money line. The Clippers are currently the underdogs at the money line at +220. They are playing on the road in Utah. Utah is a team that plays with continuity. They are currently top five in offense rating. There is no question the Clippers have the more talented team, but Utah is no slouch. They play together and will present issues on offense. The Clippers' defense should allow them to prevail tonight.
Prediction: Clippers, +220
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have been a surprise this year. They are currently top five in offensive rating. They got off to a rough start but have picked it up. Defensively there’s room for growth. The Pacers are also playing well. It will be a good matchup tonight across the board. Sometimes styles make fights. It should be the case in tonight’s game.
Currently, the Sacramento Kings are favorites at the money line at -190. It’s solid odds, but it is important to note that the game can swing either way. The Kings have a deeper team from top to bottom and will have home court advantage tonight.
They will need a big game from both Sabonis and Fox. They are more than capable of delivering big performances. The Kings are the pick here.
Prediction: Kings, -190
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are going up against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight. Currently, the Grizzlies are favorites at the money line at -140. The Grizzlies have had some good wins lately. They are starting to find their rhythm on both ends of the floor. They should have all their players available going into tonight’s game.
The Timberwolves will not have Karl Anthony Towns in the lineup. He recently sustained an injury that will keep him sidelined for the next few weeks. It will give the Timberwolves one less player to worry about tonight. Offensively Towns presents challenges for the Grizzlies.
Tonight the Grizzlies will be able to attack Gobert in switches. He’s a good interior defender but struggles guarding in space. Memphis is the easy pick here. They should be able to come out on top with the win against the Timberwolves.
Prediction: Grizzlies, -140