NBA Basketball: Oklahoma City Thunder VS Portland Trail Blazers Pick and Predictions 03/26/2023
Game: 7:10 PM ET, Sunday, March 26th, 2023
Venue: Moda Center at the Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
TV: NBA League Pass
Season Record
Thunder: 36-38, 10th place, Western Conference
Blazers: 32-41, 13th place Western Conference
Opening NBA odds at USA Sportsbooks
BetMGM: Point Spread: Thunder -9.5, O/U 232.5
PointsBet: Point Spread: Thunder -9.5, O/U 232
Fanduel: Point Spread: Thunder -9.5, O/U 232
Starting Five:
Thunder: PG Shai Gilgeous Alexander, SG Josh Giddey, SF Luguentz Dort, PF Jalen Williams, C Jaylin Williams
Blazers: PG Ryan Arcidiacono, SG Shaedon Sharpe, SF Matisse Thybulle, PF Nassir Little, C Drew Eubanks
A Western Conference matchup that is not very equal at all. The OKC Thunder have the best young backcourt in all of the NBA… PG Sahi Gilgeous Alexander has risen to “top-ten” status with his electric scoring and solid all around play. SG Josh Giddey is not as dominant but he is great at so many things. Josh can be Shai’s “Robin” easily if this team ever gets a solid front court to offer support. The Portland Trail Blazers are done. They are literally finished for the year, with 8 games left to play, they only have one thing left to accomplish and that is to try and get enough ping pong balls for a shot at the #1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. That is it. The Blazers have 4 starters listed as OUT and the 1 starter they have playing is a new guy who should not even really be an NBA starter (Thybulle). The great betting opportunity here is knowing that the almost ten point spread is too small.
The OKC Thunder have won 6 of their last 10 games. They went 6-4 ATS during that stretch. They are on a 2-game losing streak. They lost their last game to the Lakers 116-111. In the loss they got 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists from Shai Gilgeous Alexander AND an amazing 27 points, 17 REBOUNDS, and 7 assists from SG Josh Giddey… These guys were let down by a frontcourt who could not handle AD. But you can see the seed from which future winning teams are growing.
The Portland Trail Blazers have won only 3 of their last 10 games. They went 4-6 ATS during that stretch. They threw in the towel on the season officially last game when they were blown out by the Chicago Bulls 124-96! (and the Bulls stink). In the loss they got 24 points from SG Shaedon Sharpe and 15 points from some guy named Watford. It was bad all around. The thing to keep watching when you watch the Blazers is that SF Cam Reddish simply is not an NBA caliber player. He should have stayed at Duke all four years. The guy can’t find time or points or rebounds on a makeshift roster of undrafted, 2nd round, and G-League’ers.
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Oklahoma City Thunder VS Portland Trail Blazers Prediction
Our prediction for Sunday, March 26th is…. Thunder 118 - Blazers 99
Bet on the Thunder to cover and cover BIG. The Thunder have a couple of kids playing center and power forward… Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams… Usually both the guys are overmatched.. In this game they will be the better frontcourt.. It is that simple. The Blazers will have 4 if not 5 of the best players on the court at all times in this matchup.
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NBA Betting Trends
The Thunder are 12-4 ATS when playing their 3rd game in 4 days this season.
The Blazers are 2-8 ATS as a home underdog this season.
The Blazers are 15-29 ATS as a home underdog the last 3 seasons.
Players To Watch
Thunder: SG Josh Giddey. Josh stuffs the statsheet from everywhere. Show me how many other NBA 2-guards had 17 rebounds in a game this season? He and Shai are the backcourt of the future.
Blazers: SG Shaedon Sharpe. Shaedon is a quality 2-guard who comes off the bench for a bad team. He can score… His defense is suspect. Yet he gives the Blazers some trade options thai off-season. Since Sharpe can play, that puts either trading Simons into the mix OR trading Sharpe into the mix. Having options at any position is good for a bad team.
COACH
Thunder: Mark “Funky Bunch” Daigenault
Blazers: Chauncey “Joe Cool” Billups