Best Bets for Thursday’s NBA Games: Tail or Fade the Lakers?

Lemnes demsplayed are from Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. As always, shop around for the best premce.

The NBA season is back so let’s wager on these games! There are three on the slate today with the Lakers at Blazers giving us our best bet of the day.

Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers -3

Vik: It’s LeBron’s first game in a Lakers uniform so predictably the public is all over Los Angeles at a 60% clip. That being said, the line has moved in the opposite direction, from PDX -2.5 to -3, indicating reverse line movement. Historically the Lakers don’t play well in Portland, compounding this trend is the fact that it’s going to take LBJ some time to mesh with his new teammates. Lastly, it is the first home game after Portland owner Paul Allen’s passing, so I expect the players and fans to be super amped and motivated for this nationally televised game. The Pick: Trail Blazers -3

Jason: I actually like two NBA games tonight. The Lakers have lost 15 straight times against the Blazers! So what. LeBron played in none of those. That being said, the young Lakers last year lost three close games to Portland, all by five points or less. The pick: Lakers +3.

The Wizards are up to -5.5 in their home opener against Miami. The Heat traveled to Orlando for its opener last night, and so they’ll probably win the first half vs the Wizards. But I expect Washington to pull away in the 2nd half and cover 5.5 against a short-handed Heat squad. I got them at 5 this morning, and it could hit 6 by tip-off. The Heat are expected to be without four of their top 10 players again (James Johnson, Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington and Justise Winslow). The pick: Wizards -5.5.