Lakers, Blazers Still Going Low

The defense remained stout while the offense finally broke out. That formula allowed the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers to even their Western Conference first-round series with Portland at a game apiece – and they'll look to duplicate their success Saturday in Game 3. The Lakers covered with ease in their 111-88 win, fueled by 31 points from Anthony Davis.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

We haven't seen much early movement in either the line or the total; the Lakers have moved from -7 to -7.5 in most spots, while the total of 225.5 has dropped a half-point (with the OVER and UNDER at an identical -110).

LA Lakers News & Notes

Los Angeles couldn't do much right on the offensive end in Game 1 – and while they'd still like to shoot better from beyond the arc, it's hard to fault how they performed in Game 2. The Lakers shot nearly 48 percent from the floor (helped greatly by Davis's 13-of-21 performance) to cruise to victory even without a stellar showing from LeBron James, who had just 10 points in 27 minutes.

Combined with that trademark stout defense, the teams went UNDER the total for the second game in a row – and that trend is now a lengthy one for the Lakers, who have gone 9-4 to the UNDER in their last 13. While that might not be enough to persuade the public to hammer the UNDER Saturday, a key injury to Portland's top player just might.

Portland News & Notes

Damian Lillard will likely return Saturday from the dislocated finger he suffered in the third quarter of Game 2, but he won't be at 100 percent even if he does. Lillard left after scoring just 18 points on 1-for-7 shooting from 3-point range; he told reporters after the game that the finger was tender, but head coach Terry Stotts suggested Lillard should be good to go Saturday.

Even with Lillard back, the rest of Portland's starting lineup will need to be better if they hope to regain the lead in the best-of-seven. The quartet of Jusuf Nurkic, Carmelo Anthony, C.J. McCollum and Wenyen Gabriel combined for just 31 points on 14-of-40 shooting, and the entire starting lineup shot a miserable 4-of-20 from 3-point range in the one-sided loss.

Betting Pick: UNDER 225 (-110)

Oddsmakers aren't budging on the totals for these teams, and it's about time they did: The Lakers' defense is legit, while Portland has been solid in its own right but could struggle to score with Lillard hobbled.