Home Columns Wednesday NBA Picks Pack: Blazers-Bucks and Lakers-Cavs

Wednesday NBA Picks Pack: Blazers-Bucks and Lakers-Cavs

Photo: Twitter/Milwaukee Bucks

We have a couple of great NBA games coming up on Wednesday, this Thanksgiving eve.

The Lakers head to Cleveland so that LeBron can face his former teammates and Portland heads to Milwaukee, where one of the best in the West will face the second-best in the East. The official point spreads haven’t been set, but we are going to break down the games and see if we can predict the winners. If you want to learn to bet on sports, follow this link for an easy to understand guide.

Portland Trail Blazers @ Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the high-powered Milwaukee Bucks have been rolling their opponents so far this season. But, one of the only teams to beat them this season is the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers took down the Bucks on November 11th, 118 to 103 in the Moda Center. Now, the Bucks have a chance to even the score, as the Blazers have to come into Fiserv Forum.

The Trail Blazers lead the West at 11-5 and the Bucks are stubbornly holding on to the No. 2 spot in the East. Statistically speaking, the Blazers have fallen off a little bit. But, they still boast the No. 8 offense in the league and the No. 7 defense. The Bucks are putting up more points than any other team and also have the 11th best defense.

Twitter/Milwaukee Bucks
Photo: Twitter/Milwaukee Bucks

Matchup

Both of these teams have been successful because of a little thing called offensive rebounding. Portland is No. 1 in the NBA on that stat line and the Bucks are No. 2. We are going to see a battle under the rim of shots, with a ton of second-chance plays. The team that can convert the most on their second opportunities is the likely winner.

The Bucks are putting up 120 points per game at home this season, which is good enough for second in the league. The Blazers are a top-ten offense on the road averaging a smidge over 111 points per game while on the highway.

The Blazers might come into this game a little bit tired. They have to face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, so their elite defense could be a bit worn out. That said, Rip City is 2-0 this season while on no rest. Still, I have to think that coming into Milwaukee at the end of a long, five-game road stretch and on a back-to-back, that Milwaukee will have a definitive advantage. Plus, the Bucks get Tuesday off.

Take the Bucks to win, but not to cover if the spread is more than 4 points.

(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers are a mess and the Lakers are starting to get their legs underneath of them and adapt to the presence of King James. Now at 9-7, the Lakers are starting to look like a playoff contender.

If you want to see a lot of scoring, you’ll want to watch this game. It will be a showcase if defensive ineptitude —sorry LeBron. The Lakers are 26th in the NBA at stopping opponents from scoring and the Cavs are 27th. So, even though the Cavaliers are ranked 28th in the league for their home offense, they should score more than their current average of 104 ppg against this soft LA defense. But, the same goes for the Lakers. Their 115 points per game average on the road should go up sufficiently.

LeBron is going to have his day against his old teammates and we can safely predict a Lakers victory. Furthermore, keep an eye on the total score. If the total is listed at 221 or less definitely take the OVER.

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