Trail Blazers vs Lakers Prediction 2/20/25 NBA Picks Today

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers do battle at the Moda Center on Thursday night. Here’s a Trail Blazers vs Lakers Prediction. This article will include a Trail Blazers vs Lakers Pick.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been in great form as they’ve won 12 of their last 16 games overall, but they will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after falling just short to the Hornets in a 100-97 home defeat last night. LeBron James led the team with 26 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists, Rui Hachimura added 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists while Luka Doncic chipped in with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. As a team, the Lakers shot just 41 percent from the field and 15 of 51 from the 3-point line as they got off to a solid start and looked to be in full control when they held the Hornets to just 37 points in the first half, but they lost their focus and could only watch as their 13-point lead disappeared. Despite the shooting struggles, the Lakers held the lead with less than a minute on the clock before the Hornets finished with a flurry to snatch the game from them.

Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers look to have cooled off from their six-game win streak as they are now looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat after getting routed by the surging Nuggets in a 132-121 road defeat on Wednesday. Anfernee Simons led the team with 26 points and six assists, Donovan Clingan added 17 points with 20 rebounds and three blocks, Jabari Walker scored 17 points while Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija each scored 14 points. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot 45 percent from the field and 14 of 38 from the 3-point line as they struggled to contain the Nuggets from the start and were always fighting an uphill battle after allowing 75 points in the first half. The Trail Blazers had seven players finishing in double figures in scoring, but it always felt like the game was lost after they fell behind by 23 points. The Trail Blazers will take on the Hornets, Jazz, Wizards, and Nets next.

Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win

• The home team has won each of the Trail Blazers’ last nine games.
• The Lakers have lost each of their last seven games on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Trail Blazers.
• The home team has covered the spread in each of the Trail Blazers’ last 10 games.
• The Lakers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four road games against Northwest Division opponents.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers will win

• The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last 10 Thursday games against Pacific Division opponents that held a winning record.
• The Lakers have won 14 of their last 16 games against Northwest Division opponents that held a losing record.
• The Lakers have covered the spread in each of their last five games against the Trail Blazers following a loss.
• The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents following a loss.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for Q1 win percentage this season (29.1%).
• The Trail Blazers rank 29th in the league for opponent steals per game this season (9.5).
• The Lakers rank 29th in the league for field goal attempts per game this season (85.5).
• The Lakers rank 28th in the league for offensive rebounds per game this season (9.2).

The Lakers should be coming in with an almost complete squad once again, while the Trail Blazers are still keeping eyes on Scoot Henderson, Robert Williams, Jerami Grant, and Matisse Thybulle who are all questionable. The Lakers will be so disappointed with last night’s result as they really should’ve won in a canter after taking an 11-point lead into halftime, but now they have to play on zero days’ rest against an improving Trail Blazers team. This is one of those games where you should check the lineups before tipoff given the injury cloud hanging over the Trail Blazers. With that being said, I expect the Lakers to go through some growing pains as they work Doncic into the lineup and I think it continues here as the Trail Blazers pull off the minor upset at home.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: Portland +3.5

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