3rd Quarter Report
Only one more quarter stands between the Lakers and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Trail Blazers 88-77.
If the Lakers keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 19-14 in no time. On the other hand, the Trail Blazers will have to make due with an 11-22 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Portland Trail Blazers @ Los Angeles Lakers
Current Records: Portland 11-21, Los Angeles 18-14
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
- TV: KATU 2.2 ABC
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $83.00
What to Know
The Trail Blazers have enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will venture away from home to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. The Trail Blazers might want some stickum for this one as the team gave up 24 turnovers on Monday.
The Trail Blazers are hoping to turn things around on Thursday after a slow start to the season, which is looking a lot like last year’s. They suffered a grim 125-103 defeat to the 76ers. Portland was down 91-72 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Meanwhile, the Lakers couldn’t handle the Cavaliers on Tuesday and fell 122-110.
The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Austin Reaves, who almost dropped a triple-double on 35 points, nine rebounds, and ten assists. The match was his third in a row with at least 30 points. Another player making a difference was Anthony Davis, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 13 rebounds.
Portland’s loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 11-21. As for Los Angeles, their defeat dropped their record down to 18-14.
The Trail Blazers are hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. Anyone thinking of taking them against the spread should keep this in mind: the team hasn’t covered the last three times they’ve played Los Angeles.
The Trail Blazers came up short against the Lakers in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 107-98. Can the Trail Blazers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Los Angeles is a big 9-point favorite against Portland, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Lakers as a 8-point favorite.
The over/under is 224.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Los Angeles has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Portland.
- Dec 08, 2024 – Los Angeles 107 vs. Portland 98
- Jan 21, 2024 – Los Angeles 134 vs. Portland 110
- Nov 17, 2023 – Los Angeles 107 vs. Portland 95
- Nov 12, 2023 – Los Angeles 116 vs. Portland 110
- Feb 13, 2023 – Portland 127 vs. Los Angeles 115
- Jan 22, 2023 – Los Angeles 121 vs. Portland 112
- Nov 30, 2022 – Los Angeles 128 vs. Portland 109
- Oct 23, 2022 – Portland 106 vs. Los Angeles 104
- Feb 09, 2022 – Portland 107 vs. Los Angeles 105
- Feb 02, 2022 – Los Angeles 99 vs. Portland 94
