San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers Betting Preview
Where: Moda Center — Portland, Oregon
When: Friday, December 23, 2016, 10:00 PM ET
Line: San Antonio Spurs (TBA) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (TBA); total: TBA – view all NBA lines
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Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (TBA)
The Spurs got their five-game winning streak snapped Thursday night by the Clippers, 106-101. They didn’t shoot the ball well (40.2 percent) and were blasted by an offensive attack that had six Clippers scoring in double digits.
Still, don’t expect coach Gregg Poppovich to have any worries. His team is still 23-6 (second in the West) and has an elite-ranked offense (sixth) and defense (third), while also having the best road record in the league, at 15-2 (10-6-1 ATS).
They swept the Blazers in their season series last season, 3-0, and had an average winning margin of 9.3 points, while also shooting 50.1-percent form the field. In all three contests, at least five Spurs were able to score 10 or more points.
In trying to go four straight against Portland, expect Kawhi Leonard (23.9 PPG) and LaMarcus Aldridge (16.6 PPG) to headline the scoring, but an all-around passing from everyone could also be seen. The Spurs are sixth in the NBA in assists, with a 23.7 average.
On defense, they may be able to give Damian Lillard and company to a bad night of shooting, as they allow the seventh-lowest field goal percentage (44.4 percent) and second-lowest three point percentage (33.1 percent).
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers (TBA)
The Blazers simply can’t stop the bleeding. They have now lost eight of their last nine, with the most recent being in the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, Western Conference’s last-placed team.
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, as expected, have been doing much of the heavy-lifting for Rip City, as they are combining for almost 50 points and 10 assists per game.
Their man in the middle, Mason Plumlee, however, is also deserving of praises. He’s been active all over the floor, posting averages of 11 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks (all career-highs), along with hauling in 7.2 rebounds per contest.
As they look to edge out the Spurs, expect the Blazers to impose their offense, one that ranks sixth in scoring (109.4 PPG), 10th in threes made (10.2 per game), and seventh in offensive ratings. In those areas, at least stats-wise, they may have the advantage over the visitors.
Defense is a different story. They are clearly inferior to the Spurs, and almost to the rest of the NBA, as they are allowing the third-most points (112.8 PPG), while also ranking dead-last in defensive ratings.
Portland is 8-5 at home this season (5-8 ATS).
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs win, 114-105.
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