Trail Blazers vs. Warriors: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Trail Blazers vs. Warriors Odds
| Trail Blazers Odds | -1 |
| Warriors Odds | +1 |
| Over/Under | 232 |
| Date | Fri, Dec. 30 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. |
| TV | NBA TV |
NBA fans will be treated to a nine-game slate on Friday, including a matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. Entering play, Portland and Golden State are separated by one game in the Western Conference standings, with both teams currently occupying a play-in position if the regular season ended today. This evening, oddsmakers are expecting a competitive game script, pricing the Trail Blazers as 1-point road favorites on the spread.
Portland Trail Blazers
Lousy without Lillard
The Trail Blazers are a completely different team when Damian Lillard is healthy. In seven games from December 21 to December 3 when Lillard was on the sidelines, Portland was 2-5 overall with the third-worst Net Rating in the entire NBA, having been outscored by 8.3 points per 100 possessions. In those seven contests, the Trail Blazers ranked 28th in opponent three-point percentage, 21st in opponent free-throw attempts per game, and 17th in opponent assists per contest.
Dominant with Damian
In 11 games since Lillard returned to action on December 4, Portland owns the 6th-best Net Rating in the league, having outscored their opponents by 3.7 points per 100 possessions. During that time period, the Trail Blazers rank 8th in opponent three-point percentage, 13th in opponent free-throw attempts per game, and 6th in opponent assists per contest.
Golden State Warriors
Struggling without Steph
Similar to the Trail Blazers, the Warriors are a completely different team when they are forced to play without their top talent. During Golden State’s first 29 games, of which Stephen Curry played 26, this group ranked 16th in Net Rating. In seven games since Curry injured his shoulder against the Indiana Pacers, the Warriors rank 26th in Net Rating, having been outscored by 5.6 points per 100 possessions. Most notably, Golden State has struggled mightily of late to defend without fouling, allowing the 8th-most opponent free-throw attempts per game across the last two weeks.
Without Wiggins
The absence of Curry has been particularly harmful to Golden State’s defense with Andrew Wiggins also on the sidelines. Since Wiggins last played on December 3, the Warriors rank 27th in opponent three-point percentage, 24th in opponent free-throw attempts per game, and 18th in opponent assists per contest.
Trail Blazers vs. Warriors – Picks & Predictions
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Golden State Warriors rank in the 26th percentile in defensive efficiency this season when both Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins are off of the floor, making them unequivocally one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. Since Wiggins last played at the beginning of the month, this group has played at the second-quickest pace in the league, only behind the Charlotte Hornets. In a matchup between two teams that both struggle to defend without fouling, points scored without the clock moving are only likely to further inflate the total number of points in this game. Take the over in this spot.
PICK: Over 232 (-110, FanDuel)
Image Credit: Imagn