NBA Basketball: New Orleans Pelicans VS Portland Trail Blazers Pick and Predictions 03/01/2023

Game: 10:10 PM ET,  Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

Venue: Moda Center at the Rose Garden, Portland Oregon

TV:  NBA League Pass

Pelicans: 30-32, 10th place Western Conference

Blazers: 29-32, 11th place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread: Blazers -1.5, O/U 232.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Blazers -1.5, O/U 232.5

Fanduel: Point Spread:  Blazers -1.5, O/U 232.5

Pelicans: PG CJ McCollum, SG Brandon Ingram, SF Trey Murphy III, PF Herbert Jones, C Jonas Valanciunas

Blazers: PG Damian Liliard, SG Shaedon Sharpe, SF Cam Reddish, PF Jerami Grant, C Drew Eubanks

A Western Conference matchup between two teams who are lurking around the edges of either the “play-in game” or nothing.  The New Orleans Pelicans were supposed to grow off of last year's sudden success… sure they were supposed to …. but injuries have derailed them AGAIN for what seems like 8 seasons of the last 9 if you combine Anthonhy Davis and Zion Williamson.  The Pelicans have several really good pieces like Sg CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram… and multipurpose players Herbert Davis who can play the guard or forward… but until either Zion plays OR Zion leaves this team will always be missing a piece.  The Portland Trail Blazers are in 11 th place and may have decided to pull the plug and try to land a better draft pick.  While “tanking” is not in Damian Lilliard’s personality… The front office has given him a team with so few rocking pieces that he probably can’t stop it.  In a head to head matchup these teams should not be in the same class (Pelicans should be miles ahead) but with the injury absences and off-kilter play… and possibility of either team missing the playoffs… They are a pretty even match.  The great betting opportunity here is understanding which team is worse off at this exact moment.

The New Orleans Pelicans have won only 4 of their last 10 games.  They went 4-6 ATS during that stretch losing ATS during a win and winning against the spread during a loss.  They are on a 4 game losing streak.  They lost their last game to the Orlando Magic 101-93… a feat that is surprisingly difficult to do since the Magic are also terrible.  In the loss they got 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists… but WOW! His teammates once again let him down.  SG CJ McCollum got 18 points but only hit 1 of 8 3-point attempts.  Something smells bad in New Orleans and it is clearly a stagnant offense.

The Portland Trail Blazers have won only 4 of their last 10 games also. Going 3-6-1 ATS during that stretch.   They lost their last game to the Golden State Warriors in a blowout 123-105 loss.  That must kill Damian Lilliard inside.  In the loss they got 25 points from PG Damian Lilliard and 24 points from PF Jerami Grant… almost half their points form TWO guys while everyone else lollies around and got beat.  The Blazers have some injury trouble but they are clearly in the midst of their 22nd rebuild over their last 25 years.  This team drafts big men poorly and loses every star they ever had to some kind of injury or runaway free agent scenario.  They need another rebuild, but someone needs to tell Damian Lilliard that he should be on the first plane OUT.

Doc’s Sports is 14-65 in NBA picks the last 30 days for a profit of $7,250!! You should be following a handicapper all season long! Get Doc’s Sports picks right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. BigAl.com can help you with all your bets from NCAAF, NFL, MLB, NHL… get positive value from all your bets! Remember: winning a bet is way more fun than making a bet!

Our prediction for Wednesday, March 1st is…. Pelicans 118 - Blazers 101

Bet on the Pelicans. Ingram will get to scorch Cam Reddish and a rookie named Shaedon Sharpe all night long… while Jerami Grant for the Blazers will get stopped by Herbert Jones for the Pelicans.  It is finally a perfect storm for the Pelicans to get a win.

Don't miss our champion handicappers' Free NBA Picks and Premium Selections every day here at Bigal.com. Just click on Shop Picks for our Pelicans/Blazers preview, be sure to bookmark Bigal.com for our daily Game Previews and Predictions.  Get help with all your college football picks, National Football league, NCAA brackets, or any prop bets on your season schedule. 

The Pelicans are 1-6 ATS when playing 4 or less games in 10 days this season.

The Pelicans are 2-9 ATS when avenging a home loss vs same opponents this season.

The Blazers are 10-2 ATS versus Southwest Division opponents this season.

The Blazers are 8-1 ATS after a blowout loss by 15 points or more.

Pelicans: SG Brandon Ingram.  Brandon would be a real star in a big market.  A real 20+ point a game guy… that plays hard and speaks softly.  He was in a big market… but that market dumbly moved him for a Center that wanted to play power forward and could never quite stay healthy.  That big market also included a half dozen potentially great picks.  Too bad they didn’t stick with this talent and simply used those picks to build something great.

Blazers: PG Damian Lilliard.  Damian recently scored 71 points (against the Rockets) and is the sort of player that may have been the best point guard ever if he had only had a better organization building something great around him.  Damian instead will be very rich and get to sit back and watch Curry get all the PG accolades for the time period that encompasses the same decades he played.

Pelicans: Willie “It’s not easy being” Green

Blazers: Chauncey “Am I the coolest…ever?” Billups