Trail Blazers to cover against Lakers among best bets

The Portland Trail Blazers essentially have been in playoff mode the past two weeks, going 7-2 in the NBA bubble to earn the eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Portland guard Damian Lillard has been virtually unstoppable, averaging 46.2 points over his past four games and tying his career high with 61 in a win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Professional sports bettor Erin Rynning likes Lillard and the Blazers to continue their hot streak in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the top-seeded Lakers on Tuesday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Portland, 5-3-1 against the spread in the bubble, is a 5½-point underdog to Los Angeles, which is 3-5 in the bubble and 1-7 ATS.

“I will have a bet on the Blazers. I’m waiting for at least +6,” said Rynning (@ersports1). “It’s an intriguing handicap. The Blazers have turned it up and are ready to play and are in playoff mode. The Lakers have shown anything but playoff mode.

“I think the loss of (Lakers guards) Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo will make it tricky to cover Lillard, the superstar that he is. At this point, I’ll take the points in that matchup.”

Great Clips

Rynning also played the Los Angeles Clippers to win the Western Conference (+160) and NBA title (3-1).

“I have them rated certainly as the best team, though their price is getting a little bit short now,” he said. “It’s interesting if you look at the Clippers, they’ve really nursed their guys this year. Kawhi Leonard has averaged 32 minutes a game, and Paul George has averaged 30 minutes a game. But you’re going to get 40 minutes apiece from both of those guys. That’s an extra 15 to 20 minutes a game from Leonard and George. That’s pretty good.

“They have a solid three through nine (players). They have a tough road with Dallas, Denver and the Lakers, and maybe the Bucks, if things go according to plan. That’s as tough as it gets. But I think they are the best team.”

Feel the Heat

Rynning said he also placed a small wager on the Miami Heat to win the Eastern Conference at 15-1 odds.

“I don’t want to say the Milwaukee Bucks are vulnerable, but at -170, I have no interest,” he said. “Then you can throw a blanket to some degree over Boston, Toronto and Miami. Toronto and Boston were 4-1 and Miami was at 15-1, so that was worth a real small bet to me. I think they match up really well with Milwaukee.

“That could be an upset. I’m not afraid to go against the Bucks.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.