The Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs do battle in Game 2 at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday 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 will be hoping for a better outcome after getting routed by the Spurs by 111-98 in Game 1 last night. Deni Avdija led the team with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on 12 of 21 shooting; Scoot Henderson added 18 points on seven of 11 shooting, while Robert Williams chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot 43 percent from the field and 10 of 38 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to cut an early 16-point deficit to just two points early in the third quarter, but all their hard work went to waste in the fourth quarter, where they fell behind by as many as 21 points before they finished with a late flurry to bring some respectability to the final margin. Jrue Holiday had a rough game as he scored just nine points on four of 15 shooting, while Tounami Camara scored just eight points on two of seven shooting.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs were heading into the NBA Playoffs with plenty of momentum and hype and they will be feeling very confident following their comfortable win over the Trail Blazers in Game 1. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 35 points on 13 of 21 shooting, De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each scored 17 points, while Devin Vassell chipped in with 15 points. As a team, the Spurs shot 48 percent from the field and 15 of 33 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with their defense by holding the Trail Blazers to just 21 points in the first quarter to jump out to a 16-point lead that almost disappeared completely before the Spurs caught fire again to lead by as many as 21 points. Check out another Western Conference game on Tuesday night between the Lakers and Rockets.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The Spurs have won each of their 11 previous playoff home games against the Trail Blazers.
- The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last 10 playoff road games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last 10 playoff road games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The favorites have covered the spread in eight of the Trail Blazers’ last nine games at Frost Bank Center.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win
- The Trail Blazers have won seven of their last eight games following a loss.
- The Spurs have lost three of their last four playoff games as favorites following a win.
- The Trail Blazers have covered the spread in five of their last six games against the Spurs following a loss.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last nine games as favorites against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
Total Points Facts
- Eleven of the Spurs’ last 12 home night games following a home win have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Trail Blazers’ last five games against Southwest Division opponents has gone UNDER the total points line.
San Antonio Spurs Player Facts
- Victor Wembanyama ranks 1st amongst qualified players for blocks per game (3.1) this season.
- Stephon Castle is one of only five players to have recorded a 40+ point triple-double 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 have ruled out Damian Lillard once again, while the Spurs have ruled out David Jones Garcia, with Jordan McLaughlin listed as a game-time decision. The Trail Blazers showed plenty of fight in the first half of Game 1 to make things interesting heading into the third quarter, but the Spurs were always in control and they played great defense to keep the Trail Blazers’ Holiday quiet all game. The Trail Blazers will take some positives from their loss but in all honesty, it was mostly one-way traffic in favor of the Spurs and I think we’re going to see more of the same in this one. Maybe the Trail Blazers put up a better fight at home, but with this game being played at the Frost Bank Center, I will stick with the Spurs to get the win and cover once again.