Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers avoided the dreaded sweep with a big home win in Game 4. But will that home game prove to be their last as the Spurs look to close out the series when it heads back to San Antonio?
It seems the NBA experts were justified in their unanimous backing of the Spurs in this series. Create your own betting account and either follow them or find your own path as the NBA’s second round rolls on.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs Round 2, Game 5 Betting Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 – May 6, Portland 92 San Antonio 116
Game 2 – May 8, Portland 97 San Antonio 114
Game 3 – May 10, San Antonio 118 Portland 103
Game 4 – May 12, San Antonio 92 Portland 103
Game 5 – May 14, 9:30 PM ET, Portland (+8) at San Antonio (-8); total: 208.5– view all NBA lines
Game 6 (if necessary) – May 16, San Antonio at Portland
Game 7 (if necessary) – May 19, Portland at San Antonio
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers
With their season on the line, the Portland Trail Blazers turned in their best performance of the series in front of their home fans in Game 4.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Damian Lillard (25 points, 11-for-21 FGs) finally came up big after struggling mightily with his shot in the first three games, while Nicolas Batum (15.5 PPG on 51% shooting, 9.3 RPG in the series) continued his excellent play with a near-triple double in Game 4. The Blazers even got the added boost of 17 points off the bench from Will Barton.
Despite the win, Game 5 still figures to be an uphill battle for the Blazers in San Antonio. Portland is 0-3 SU/ATS in its last three road playoff games. But the scenario will be just about the same for the Blazers as it was in Game 4. They have nothing to lose and can play with more freedom.
With a resurgent Lillard putting it all on the line alongside Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge (22 PPG, 10 RPG in the series), the Blazers certainly have the firepower to make it much more competitive than in the first two games of the series in San Antonio.
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs
After averaging almost 117 PPG on 52% shooting in their last four games, regression was bound to hit the San Antonio Spurs at some point, and it hit hard in Game 4. They shot just 44% from the field, including a playoff worst 3-for-18 (17%) from beyond the arc. They even shot poorly from the free throw line (11-for-17, 58%).
But don’t count on a Gregg Popovich-coached team to give up 62 points in the paint, get outrebounded, and get out-assisted in back-to-back games, especially at home. These are the same Spurs that went 19-4 SU after a loss in the regular season – the best mark in the NBA – and won those games by nine points on average.
In these playoffs, the Spurs are averaging 106.7 PPG on 50% shooting at home, but they’ve turned it up to 114 PPG with a point differential of over 17.5 points in their last four home games. That prodigious scoring has helped the total go over in five of their six home playoff games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs’ offense returns to its former efficiency and takes care of business at home. Take the Spurs to win and cover -8 in Game 5.
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