Blazers vs Spurs Predictions and Preview

Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio

When: Friday, December 30, 2016, 8:30 PM ET

TV Broadcast: TNT

Writer’s Pick: San Antonio Spurs

NBA News & Predictions

Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers (14-20)

Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers is like betting on Donald Trump to win the US Election in the summer. If you win, you’re absolutely laughing all the way to the bank. If you lose, nobody will be surprised whatsoever. The Blazers, undoubtedly, have been the NBA’s biggest sorrow story of the first half of the year. Damian Lillard was on everybody’s list to take home the MVP honors but he just hasn’t lived up to the billing as team leader just yet. He is the best guy on the Blazers, no question. That’s like being the best guy on the team with second pick in a game of ball at the playground though. Portland has been in a funk all season and currently has one win in their past seven games.

On paper, the Blazers offense isn’t that bad. They’re sixth in the league in points per game with 108.0 per night and eleventh in team field goal percentage with a .456 average. It’s their defense that kills them. They surrender the third worst average in the league 111.5 points per game and are also third-worst guarding the trey with an opponent three-point percentage of .379. Watch for Portland to get pasted on Friday night.

Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (26-6)

The Spurs this season are shockingly a better road team (16-2) than they are at home (10-4). Shocking, because a very similar version of this club circa 2015-16 will go down in history as one of the best home teams of all-time. They tied the 85-86 Celtics all-time mark of 40-1 on their home wood, but haven’t found as much success this time around. With that said, they haven’t lost at home in the month of December in the great state of Texas and are currently on an 12-2 run since their last loss at the AT&T.

The Portland Trail Blazers are their final opponent of 2016 and the Spurs have had their number all year. They defeated Rip City in their last meeting last Friday 110-90 in Oregon and are 2-0 against them dating back to December 19th of last year. San Antonio currently sits 1.5 games back of the league leading Golden State Warriors and are 15-4 against Western Conference opponents. San An is second int eh league with a field goal percentage of .473 and have the best free-throw percentage at .821. They’re too big and too fast for the lowly Blazers.