NBA
Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers play basketball for the first time in 2025 on January 2nd.
LeBron James//Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers will play their first game in 2025 in Southern California, with the Trail Blazers travelling down the west coast. The Lakers are the current fifth seed in this Western Conference matchup, while the Trail Blazers are in 13th place and aren’t in contention for a play-off or play-in place yet.
SportsBoom offers an exclusive preview with all the essential details about both teams. This article comprehensively analyses both teams’ key players and head-to-head records, and we provide our top-value bets for the game.
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Match Details
Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Date: Thursday 2nd January 2025
Start time: 7:30 pm local time (3:30 am BST)
Last meeting: October 30, 2024, Cleveland Cavaliers 134-110 Los Angeles Lakers
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Los Angeles Lakers: 9/20 (1.45) – 69%
Portland Trail Blazers: 19/10 (2.90) – 34%
Forecast Odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
This historic and intriguing encounter between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers has seen 245 regular season games. Despite the number of games played, the record remains fairly close, with the Lakers holding the upper hand, having prevailed 131 times. The Trail Blazers have won a total of 114 times.
The recent head-to-head form indicates the opposite, with the Los Angeles Lakers currently posing a four-game winning streak. Recent records show that one of the most prominent organizations in the NBA are currently winning with relative ease, but will they make it five wins on the spin?
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/25 Season | December 8, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 107-98 Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2023/24 Season | January 21, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 134-110 Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2023/24 Season | November 17, 2023 | Los Angeles Lakers 107-95 Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2023/24 Season | November 12, 2023 | Los Angeles Lakers 116-110 Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2022/23 Season | February 13, 2023 | Portland Trail Blazers 127-115 Los Angeles Lakers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Portland Trail Blazers
- Record: 11-21
- Home Form: 8-8
- Road Form: 3-13
The Portland Trail Blazers
Portland has two leading shooting guards occupying the top two spots in the points-per-game charts, thanks to work from Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons. Collectively, the duo is posting averages of 18.1 and 17.2, respectively. While both will be available for this matchup, this will help them in good stead for this encounter. In their recent game against the Dallas Mavericks, both players posted 20+ points on the court to earn an impressive win, showing their potential against superior teams.
Deandre Ayton remains the Trail Blazers’ lead possession gainer, with the 26-year-old averaging 10.4 rebounds per game. In his first season in Portland, he averaged 11.1, but the 6ft 9 star will always be a key element to the roster when it comes to limiting opponents’ shot intakes while on defence. His points per game isn't up to scratch in comparison to previous years, but his reliability on the end of the court is a huge help overall to Portland.
Deandre Ayton//Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers
- Record: 18-14
- Home Form: 10-5
- Road Form: 8-9
Los Angeles has an 18-14 record and is fifth in the West. Its impressive 10-5 record at home puts it joint second in the Conference with fewer defeats on its home turf. The team previously had a seven-game winning streak before the Cleveland Cavaliers ended it.
Shooting forward and star player LeBron James enters yet another year in his two-decade-long career, and after turning 40, he still plays a key role within the organization. He currently posts an average of 23.5 points per game, which is a slight regression from points produced in previous years. However, he remains a massive influence with his ability to create assists for his teammates and consistently makes impressive rebounds that match his career-long seasonal averages.
Aside from James and Anthony Davis, one player posting the best numbers of his career lately is shooting guard Austin Reaves. He is a regular starting five-member within the roster, playing alongside James and Davis, and in his fourth year in the NBA, he is posting his best numbers per game. Reaves is producing 17.7 points, an improvement by over two points, but matches his rebounds and assists output from the previous 2023/24 season. He has averaged 25+ points in three of his last five games and even produced a key triple-double in a buzzer win over Californian rivals, the Golden State Warriors.
Value Bets
LeBron James: Over 25 Points, Over 7 Rebounds and Over 7 Assists: LeBron James has sensationally played 42 games against the Trail Blazers throughout his career and has averaged 29 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He missed their previous meeting at the start of December due to soreness in his left foot. Therefore, he will be motivated to continue this stat line into the New Year. SportsBoom predicts that he will post at least 25 points and maintain a consistent and strong showing in producing assists for his teammates and recovering the ball.
Deandre Ayton: Over 10 Rebounds: SportsBoom believes Deandre Ayton will maintain his impressive stat line against the Los Angeles Lakers and post at least ten rebounds. Sensationally, he produced 19 rebounds in his previous game, and his last ten games have seen him reach double digits on eight separate occasions.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers to Win
SportsBoom predicts the Los Angeles Lakers will start 2025 with a win. Los Angeles has a superior record as of late, and we expect that it will be five wins on the trot for the Southern Californian team. The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t quite in an optimal position to compete just yet in the Western Conference. Still, they are trying to improve after occupying the tail-end positions in recent years. The Lakers are near the second seed, the Memphis Grizzlies, highlighting how crucial positive form is in the league.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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