The Portland Trail Blazers pay a visit to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 at the Frost Bank Center on Sunday night. Here’s a Spurs vs. Trail Blazers Prediction. This article will include a Spurs vs. Trail Blazers Pick.
Portland Trail Blazers Betting Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers capped off their regular season with 10 wins in their final 14 games before they pulled off a great upset against the Suns in a 114-110 win in the Play-In game on Tuesday. Deni Avdija led the team with 41 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists on 15 of 22 shooting; Jrue Holiday added 21 points while Jerami Grant provided the spark off the bench with 16 points in just 19 minutes of action. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot 45 percent from the field and 17 of 47 from the 3-point line as they battled the Suns and looked to be in trouble when they trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter before they closed the final 6:24 on a 27-12 run to pull off the comeback and secure the 7th seed in the Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs have been the hottest team in the league, as they won 30 of the final 34 games of the regular season to finish with a 62-20 overall record, good for 2nd place in the Western Conference standings. Victor Wembanyama was hyped all preseason about how he was going to take his game to the next level and he did just that as he averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game; De’Aaron Fox played 72 games with averages of 18.6 points and 6.2 assists; and Stephon Castle averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 assists per game. As a team, the Spurs scored 119.8 points per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from the 3-point line. The Spurs ranked third in the NBA for offensive rating and third in defensive rating.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The Spurs have won each of their 10 previous playoff home games against the Trail Blazers.
- The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last 10 road games against Western Conference opponents after winning as underdogs.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last nine playoff road games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The Spurs have covered the spread in each of their last seven games following a loss.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win
- The Spurs have lost each of their last eight Sunday games against Northwest Division opponents that held a winning record.
- The Trail Blazers have won each of their last six games against Western Conference opponents after winning as underdogs.
- The Trail Blazers have covered the spread in each of their last five games against Western Conference opponents after winning as underdogs.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five night games at Frost Bank Center following a home loss.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Spurs’ last 10 playoff games as favorites has gone OVER the total points line.
- Seven of the Trail Blazers’ last eight playoff games have gone OVER the total points line.
San Antonio Spurs Player Facts
- Stephon Castle is one of only five players to have recorded a 40+ point triple-double this season.
- Julian Champagnie is one of only 11 players in the league to have made 10+ threes in a game this season.
Portland Trail Blazers Player Facts
- Donovan Clingan ranks 1st in the league for second-chance points (339) this season.
- Deni Avdija has scored 25+ points in six consecutive appearances—the longest active streak of any player in the league.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for Q1 points per game this season (31.9).
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for H1 points per game this season (62.2).
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for opponent steals per game this season (10.8).
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for turnovers per game this season (17.3).
Spurs vs Trail Blazers Prediction
The Trail Blazers are coming in with a full squad except for the injured Damian Lillard, while the Spurs have ruled out David Jones Garcia, with Victor Wembanyama listed as a game-time decision with that injury to his ribs. These teams met three times in the regular season, with the Spurs winning the series by 2-1 and both of their wins were by a double-digit margin. The Trail Blazers will be full of confidence following their thrilling comeback win over the Suns in their last outing, but the Spurs are well-rested and I think they will kick off the series with a comfortable win and cover in this spot.