To say that the San Antonio Spurs have beaten the Portland Trail Blazers in each of their three games in the series is an understatement. In Game 3, just like in the first two meetings in the series, the Spurs absolutely obliterated Portland, 118-103. So far, their winning margin against Portland is 18.6 PPG.
Can the Spurs end the series tonight and make the analysts, who picked them to advance to the Western Conference finals in our experts’ picks and previews article, look good? Or will the Trail Blazers hang tough and force a Game 5?
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[sc:NBAArticles ]Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs Round 2, Game 4 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, 10:30 PM ET, San Antonio (-3.5) at Portland (+3.5); total: 211.5 – view all NBA lines
Game 5 – (if necessary) May 14, Portland at San Antonio
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
The up hill battle for the Portland Trail Blazers just got steeper. For the first time in the series, the Trail Blazers scored more than 100 points, but still came up short, and are now on the brink of elimination against the San Antonio Spurs.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Portland can extend the series with a win in Game 4 at home, where they are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games there.
Coach Terry Stotts is in dire need of production from his bench. In Game 3, Portland’s reserves mustered only six points, 34 less than the Spurs’ reserves. Knowing that his relievers would likely be outclassed by their counterparts, Stotts was forced to play all his starters for at least 37 minutes in Game 3.
With backup point guard Mo Williams (groin) labelled as day-to-day, Thomas Robinson, Earl Watson, and C.J. McCollum will be pressed to deliver in Game 4.
The Trail Blazers haven’t lost back-to-back in their last 20 home games. Moreover, they are 14-6 SU in their last 20 contests at Moda Center.
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs
Thus far, the Trail Blazers haven’t had an answer for Tony Parker in this series. Parker ran circles around the Blazers’ defense in Game 3 and scored 29 points (12-20 FG), helping San Antonio inch closer to an emphatic series sweep. The French guard is averaging 26 PPG in the second round of the Playoffs.
The Spurs are averaging 107 PPG in this postseason, in part thanks to the soft defense Portland is throwing at them. More impressively, the Spurs continue to play strong defense themselves. They have limited the Trail Blazers to just 97.3 PPG, shaving almost 14 points a game off Portland’s 111.6 PPG against the Houston Rockets in the first round.
With everything going their way, the Spurs still have to be ready for any adjustments Portland will employ in Game 4. Given the lackluster Trail Blazers’ bench, containing Portland’s duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard would certainly spell a San Antonio victory.
The over is 6-0 in San Antonio’s last six games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
No team is more focused at this point of the Playoffs than the Spurs. San Antonio will not let its guard down and will hand the Trail Blazers a bitter end to their season. Take the Spurs to win straight up and cover -3.5 as road favorites.
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