by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Jan 23, 2023
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, OR
Where to watch: ROOT-SP+, BSSW-SA
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Blazers -9
FanDuel: Blazers -9
BetMGM: Blazers -9
Caesars: Blazers -9
Season record
Spurs: 14-32
Blazers: 21-25
We’re nearing the halfway mark of the season in the NBA and it’s been quite the ride so far. Al McMordie is cashing hard at 22-15-0 in the last 30 days, while Doc’s Sports has also had a strong run of form as of late at 14-10-0 (+$3,000). If they’ve been killing it as much as they were in the first half, what does the second half have in store? The only way you’re going to find out is by staying locked on bigal.com and following what our champion handicappers are up to heading into the final 41 games. Trust us, you want to know.
Spurs - Blazers preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Spurs: lost 131-126 vs. Clippers
Blazers: lost 121-112 vs. Lakers
The Portland Trail Blazers are definitely hoping for a victory after these last few games have proven futile, but they are playing the second night of a back-to-back in which they will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center on Monday.
The Portland Trail Blazers are definitely hoping for a victory after these last few games have proven futile, but they are playing the second night of a back-to-back in which they will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center on Monday.
The Blazers have lost three in a row since winning a two game home series against the Dallas Mavericks a week ago, but these three losses are a major indication that they can be competitive against some of these teams, but don't have enough to get over the hump. Case in point, this game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in which Portland had a 25 point lead and still found a way to lose as six point favorites and lost by nine. As I have always said, there is only so much you can do against LeBron James and Thomas Bryant.
Damian Lillard had a horrendous shooting night with just 24 points on five of 17 shooting but made-up for it with 10 assists. Anfernee Simons was the leading scorer with 31 points while making seven 3-pointers, But that was all Portland could muster. The Blazers shot 43% from the floor and made just 17 of 46 three-point attempts while the Lakers got everything at wanted and more from LeBron and Bryant.
“Right now, we're just not getting it done,” Lillard said when asked if the Blazers should try to deal before the trade deadline. “I do want to win. I don't think it's a secret that I want to win. I think we've got to do whatever we need to do to be in a position to win."
Remember the days when Lillard said that he wanted to stay in Portland and felt like there was enough in the tank to win games? Now he's hoping Portland makes moves with the deadline, or at least it sounds like it. Nevertheless Portland is really struggling right now and the three losses to the Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Denver Nuggets all show that they are a piece or two away from being a piece or two away. Maybe not that extent but you get the picture.
But at least at the end of the day things could be much worse. You could be like the spurs who have failed to win consistently all year and things are not going to get any better. The spurs have lost six of their last seven despite going 5-2 against the spread in that time. Bottom teams are weird when it comes to the spread and I will never understand it. But when you are in a situation like the spurs getting 7.5 points and losing only by 5 to the Los Angeles Clippers like what happened on Friday column then things really aren't made to make as much sense as they do.
Kelden Johnson led the way with 23 points in a balanced scoring effort for the spurs despite falling short by five points. San Antonio shot 57% from the field which is great on any other night, but the Clippers shot 63% giving an indication of how bad san antonio's defense has been all year. Zach Collins and Josh Richardson had 17 points each.
“He was great,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said of his former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who led the way with 36 points. “He’s one of the finest players in the league. We are talking about the very top of the list – he’s with those guys.”
Prediction
I would be very cautious playing the Blazers in this one, even though they are laying nine points. They are on the second game of a back-to-back, albeit there are at home, but the spurs have found a way to stay competitive in a lot of these games. If Portland can realize that San Antonio does not know how to play defense, the Blazers will win this game. I am going to be weary on this but ultimately you should take Portland. Blazers 134, Spurs 128
Betting trends
Spurs are 21-23 ATS as an underdog this season.
Spurs are 55-41 ATS on the road the last 3 seasons.
Blazers are 8-5 ATS as a home favorite this season.
Spurs are 21-23 ATS as an underdog this season.
Spurs are 55-41 ATS on the road the last 3 seasons.
Blazers are 8-5 ATS as a home favorite this season.
Projected starting lineup
Spurs:
PG: Tre Jones
SG: Romeo Langford
SF: Keldon Johnson
PF: Jeremy Sochan
C: Jakob Poeltl
Blazers:
PG: Damian Lillard
SG: Anfernee Simons
SF: Josh Hart
PF: Jerami Grant
C: Jusuf Nurkic
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this San Antonio Spurs - Portland Trail Blazers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
