Trail Blazers vs Lakers Odds, Spread and Predictions

• The Lakers are favored by 5.5 points at home over the Trail Blazers on Friday night
• The Trail Blazers have lost 10 of their last 12 games and Lakers six of seven
• A look at the matchups and odds can be found below with a pick

In the final NBA game of 2021, the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

The Trail Blazers (13-21) are on a three-game losing streak and have dropped 10 of their last 12. They were beaten 120-105 by the visiting Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The Lakers also lost Wednesday night to the Grizzlies 104-99 in Memphis. It was Los Angeles’ sixth loss in its past seven games.

In a game that will be shown on NBA TV, the Lakers are favored.

Trail Blazers vs Lakers Odds

Odds as of December 31st at BetMGM.

Injury Report

LeBron James (abdominal strain) and Avery Bradley (head contusion) are listed as questionable for the Lakers while Anthony Davis and Kendrick Nunn are out with knee injuries. James leads the team in scoring at 28.0 points a game and Davis is second at 23.3.

LeBron James turns 37 today 👑

He's averaging 28.0 PPG, by far the most by a player age 37 or later in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/SwjoRcIjBo

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 30, 2021

The Trail Blazers’ CJ McCollum (punctured lung) will miss his 11^th straight game. Nassir Little (ankle) is probable after being injured in Wednesday’s game.

Portland has eight players in the protocols: Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons, Robert Covington, Ben McLemore, Cody Zeller, Brandon Williams, Keljin Blevins and Trendon Watford.

Both coaches, the Lakers’ Frank Vogel and Trail Blazers’ Chauncey Billups, are also in the protocols.

Trail Blazers Outlook

Norman Powell scored a season-high 32 points on Wednesday and Damian Lillard also had 32 points. Yet the two guards’ big games weren’t able to overcome the Jazz’ size advantage as the Trail Blazers were outscored 74-30 in the paint.

Powell had 25 points in the first two quarters, the highest-scoring half by a Trail Blazers player this season. That helped Portland to stay within 69-59 at halftime by it never got closer than six points in the second half.

The Blazers find a way to get it to Norman Powell for the deep bomb 🤑pic.twitter.com/qOo5ZeGMmh

— Blazers Nation (@BlazersNationCP) December 30, 2021

Lillard had his seventh 30-point game of the season while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing four assists. Lillard is seventh in the NBA in dimes with a 7.3 average.

Acting coach Scott Brooks pulled Lillard from the game after the star got charged with a technical foul with 4:59 left. The Trail Blazers were down 111-91 at that point.

Brooks has been filling in for Billups and was previously a head coach for 12 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards. Larry Nance Jr. flirted with a triple-double as he finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

s/o @Larrydn22, doing a bit of everything. @CarMax | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/stTcIg01hk

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 30, 2021

The Jazz shot 52.9%, making 46 of their 87 field goal attempts.

Lakers Outlook

James played through his abdominal injury to score 37 points, grab 13 rebounds and hand out seven assists in the loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

The LeBron lead pass 🎯

(📺: @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/yQPj4qOzoZ

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 30, 2021

James scored 30 points for the 14^th time this season and had his 10^th triple double. He also knocked down a season-high eight three-pointers on the day before his 37^th birthday.

The Lakers took an 80-66 lead with 4:33 left in the third quarter but the Grizzlies cut the deficit to 83-78 by the end of the period. Memphis then scored 12 straight points in the fourth quarter to move ahead for good at 99-92 with 8:12 remaining.

The Lakers had 18 turnovers, including five each by James and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook had his eighth triple-double with 16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Malik Monk added 15 points.

Russ nets another. pic.twitter.com/f2ux4A1I27

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 30, 2021

Assistant coach David Fizdale again ran the Lakers in Vogel’s absence. Fizdale has four seasons of head coaching experience with the Grizzlies and New York Knicks.

Trail Blazers vs Lakers Prediction

The Trail Blazers won this season’s lone meeting, 105-90 on Nov. 6 at home as a five-point favorite.

Lillard led Portland with 25 points and six assists while Nurkic added 15 points and 17 rebounds. Monk scored a team-high 13 points off the bench for the Lakers.

Both teams are having highly disappointing season but look for the Trail Blazers to have enough to slip under the number.

• The Pick: Trail Blazers +5.5 (-110)