Blazers Are Double-Digit Underdogs in Game 5 With Lillard Out

You can kiss those single-digit L.A. spreads goodbye following a Game 4 Lakers rout that has the No. 1 seed in the West on the verge of advancing to Round 2. The Lakers carry a 3-1 series lead into Saturday night’s Game 5 encounter with a Portland Trail Blazers team that will be without superstar guard Damian Lillard after he suffered a knee injury Monday.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Lakers were 13.5-point favorites to kick off the Game 5 odds – and that line has only grown larger, all the way to -14 in most spots. The total, on the other hand, has shrunk has stayed put at 223 at select sportsbooks.

Portland News & Notes

We surmised that the Trail Blazers stood a chance Monday if they could find a way to improve their showing from the three-point line. It was well-intentioned, but when you allow 80 first-half points, it really doesn’t matter how dangerous you are from long range. Indeed, the Blazers shot nearly 43 percent from deep but still dropped a 20-point decision – and the final score flattered them.

The biggest concern for Portland entering Game 4 was what would happen when Los Angeles players other than Anthony Davis and LeBron James got going. We all saw the answer Monday, with four other Lakers scoring in double figures. Now the Blazers face the reality of having to extend the series without Lillard, who is averaging 24.3 points and 4.3 assists so far in the series.

Los Angeles News & Notes

Monday marked Kobe Bryant Day in the Orlando bubble – and the Lakers celebrated in the best possible way, jumping out to a 24-8 lead and coasting from there. The most encouraging development might have been the fact that the L.A. starting backcourt of Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shot 10-for-16 from the floor and 5-for-8 from deep in limited court time.

Earning a blowout win is always nice, but it’s especially valuable in the playoffs because it allows a team to get its star players some rest. With James playing just 28 minutes in the victory, that should help preserve the tread on his tires as he looks to lead the Lakers deep into the postseason. James has averaged fewer than 30 minutes played in L.A.’s three wins in the series.

Betting Pick: Lakers -13.5 (-110)

With Lillard sidelined, Los Angeles shouldn’t need to break much of a sweat in this one. Look for LeBron, AD and the rest to put this one away early, then get their starters a breather in the second half.