The LeBron James era with the Los Angeles Lakers officially begins on Thursday. The best player in the world left the Cavaliers for Tinsel Town as a free agent and will now aim to lift a lottery team to contender status. Most don’t think the Lakers can be in the championship picture this season, even with LeBron, and the opener against the Portland Trail Blazers may give us our first clue.
The Blazers are at home in this matchup and have designs of being an upper tier playoff team in the Western Conference this season. While they aren’t on the level of the Rockets or Warriors, Portland believes it’s not far behind and a win in this one, while obviously very early, would be a nice shot across the bow at the other teams in the conference.
No one knows how LeBron’s move to the Lakers will work in out in 2018-19, but this will be the first glimpse of it in NBA betting.
This NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers will be held at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon at 10:30 p.m ET on Thursday, October 18th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA season.
NBA Betting at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
There is no spread yet for this contest but it figures to be a small one in favor of either team. The Lakers are projected to win about six more games than the Blazers this season, but with Portland at home that evens things out. It will be interesting to see if LeBron James can jell with his teammates quickly and pull out a season-opening road win.
Don’t forget about the live betting option for this game and all the others on national television this season. While it’s unknown what the Lakers are going to look like when the game begins, it will become more clear as the quarters move along. Take advantage with the live betting option.
Player To Watch
James -- Even though he is now 34 years old, LeBron continues to play like one of the greatest players the game’s ever seen. He is going to try to develop some quick new chemistry with a whole new supporting cast, and it will be interesting to see how it all comes together.
James is once again on the short list of MVP candidates as the general belief is that he will keep playing at an extremely high level. It has taken time for James to jell with new teammates in his previous stops, and the beginning of this season may be somewhat trial and error. While there are no superstars with him on the Lakers, James is so talented that his presence alone will keep Los Angeles in games night in and night out.
Key Stat
48.3. That’s the number of points the Blazers backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined to average a season ago. They must be slowed down by the Lakers, and it might not be easy as Los Angeles tries to forge a defensive identity between its mixture of young players and new veterans.
James might be the best player on the court but Lillard and McCollum are Nos. 2 and 3, and if they both play well, the Blazers should have a good shot at the win.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Everyone wants to see how James plays in his opener, and the majority of the money might be on the Lakers because of it. However, the Blazers have better chemistry and a team that is almost as good. The Blazers are at home and are the easy choice to win this game. Don’t get blinded by LeBron as it should be a slow start for the Lakers.
Live betting is another good way to gamble on this game in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Picks: Portland Trail Blazers 107, Los Angeles Lakers 102
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
