Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors Odds, Preview, and Prediction
Trail Blazers vs. Warriors Odds
| Trail Blazers Odds | +14 |
| Warriors Odds | -14 |
| Over/Under | 216 |
| Date | Wednesday, Dec. 8 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Tonight, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors will battle at the Chase Center. Portland has been rapidly descending in the Western Conference standings without Damian Lillard in the lineup. The absence of C.J. McCollum only further complicates matters, especially when traveling to play arguably the best team in the entire NBA. Whereas Portland has six losses in their last seven games and is dealing with a myriad of injuries, Golden State has only four losses for the entire season, and enters play with no new injuries to report. Oddsmakers are anticipating a relatively easy win for the Dubs in this one, pricing Golden State as 14-point home favorites on the spread at online sportsbooks.
Now, let’s take a closer look at Trail Blazers vs. Warriors odds and make a prediction.
Trail Blazers
Amidst a firestorm of rumors about “(player-popup #damian-lillard)Damian Lillard”:/players/damian-lillard-13900’s future with the franchise, Portland is also trying to win games with both Lillard and McCollum–their two best players–on the bench. When Lillard and McCollum are both off of the court this year, the Trail Blazers rank in the 22nd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 33rd percentile in defensive efficiency, per Cleaning the Glass. In Portland’s most recent four games without Lillard in the lineup, this group has a win against the Detroit Pistons, but has also suffered double-digit losses to the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Clippers. The combined absence of Lillard and McCollum is going to make it extremely difficult for this team to score points in this one. There is also a considerable amount of uncertainty as to who this group expects to slow down Golden State’s elite wing players. The Trail Blazers could be in for a very tough night on national television.
Warriors
Through 24 games played, Golden State ranks 3rd in offensive efficiency, 1st in defensive efficiency, and has the best Net Rating in the NBA by a wide margin–outscoring their opponents by 13.0 points per 100 possessions. The Dubs are led by the MVP-frontrunner, Stephen Curry, who is averaging 27.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole have been solid contributors on the offensive end as well, each averaging 17.9 points or better per night. Draymond Green continues to fill the stat sheet, averaging 8.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. His defensive leadership cannot be talked about enough when discussing how dominant the Warriors have been on that end of the floor.
Fifteen of Golden State’s last 18 wins have come by 13 points or more. The Warriors are not simply beating teams, they are slaughtering their opponents. Golden State has been even better at home this fall, outscoring the opposition by 16.2 points per 100 possessions. Curry and company are a threat to turn this contest into a laugher by the end of the third quarter.
Picks and Prediction
Portland is arguably the worst team in the NBA when they do not have their two stars, Lillard and McCollum, on the floor. The Trail Blazers lost by 28 points at home to a Boston Celtics team that was on a back-to-back and flying out of altitude–and that was with McCollum in the lineup. There is very little to suggest that Portland is going to keep pace with a much more talented, more rested team this evening at the Chase Center. Lock-in a wager on the Dubs, who are somehow undervalued yet again at sportsbooks.
PICK: Warriors -14 (-110)
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