The San Antonio Spurs play host to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 of the 1st Round 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 are now battling to keep their season alive after getting routed by the Spurs in a 114-93 home defeat in Game 4 on Sunday. Deni Avdija led the team with 26 points on eight of 14 shooting; Jrue Holiday added 20 points with six rebounds and four assists, while Jerami Grant chipped in with 17 points off the bench, but no other players scored more than eight points. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot just 40 percent from the field and 10 of 31 from the 3-point line as they got off to a terrific start and dominated the second quarter by 33-18 to lead by as many as 19 points, but the Trail Blazers couldn’t maintain that intensity and got outscored by an incredible 73-35 in the second half to get completely blown out in the end. Donovan Clingan had a rough game as he scored just five points on two of 10 shooting while Scoot Henderson finished scoreless on zero of seven shooting.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs are now just one win away from advancing to the 2nd round after smashing the Trail Blazers in a massive win in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. De’Aaron Fox led the team in scoring with 28 points, six rebounds and seven assists on 11 of 17 shooting; Victor Wembanyama added 27 points with 12 rebounds, four steals and seven blocks, while Stephon Castle chipped in with 16 points and eight assists. As a team, the Spurs shot 49 percent from the field and 14 of 33 from the 3-point line as they got off to a terrible start and scored just 18 points in the second quarter to find themselves trailing by 19 points before they flipped a switch and caught fire in the second half to run past the Trail Blazers with plenty of time to spare in the end.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The Spurs have won each of their last 11 night games following a road win.
- The Trail Blazers have lost 16 of their last 17 playoff road games against Southwest Division opponents following a loss.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in 10 of their last 11 playoff road games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The Spurs have covered the spread in five of their last six playoff games.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win
- The Spurs have lost four of their last five playoff games as home favorites following a win.
- The Trail Blazers have won each of their last four night games following a home loss.
- The road team has covered the spread in five of the Trail Blazers’ last six games.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five playoff home games following a win.
Total Points: Facts
- Seven of the Trail Blazers’ last eight games against Southwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Seven of the Spurs’ last eight home games following a road win have 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.
- Luke Kornet has recorded 40 games with 1+ assists and zero turnovers this season—most of any player in the league.
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 threw their best punch at the Spurs in Game 4 and it still wasn’t nearly enough to get the job done as they just had no answers at all in the second half once the Spurs caught fire. It’s hard to make much of an argument for the Trail Blazers heading into Game 5, as their only win in this series came in Game 2 when Wembenyama suffered that nasty fall. Maybe the Trail Blazers come out swinging and get off to another quick start, but even if that happens, I still think the Spurs pull away late for the comfortable win and cover at home. The line is hefty, but I can see this game getting out of hand early if the Spurs get hot.