Trail Blazers vs Thunder NBA Betting Odds, Preview & Pick

Trail Blazers vs Thunder NBA Betting Odds, Preview & Pick

Written by on February 11, 2019

Russell Westbrook and the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder will look to tame Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers when the two Western Conference championship hopefuls square off in an intriguing matchup on Monday night.

With Westbrook looking to become the first player in NBA history to record 10 consecutive triple-doubles, let’s find out if the Thunder can cover the chalk at home or whether Lillard and the Blazers are the pick to get it done.

Trail Blazers vs Thunder NBA Betting Odds, Preview & Pick

Why Bet on Portland at +6.5?

Why should you consider betting on the Portland Trail Blazers in this contest? Well, the Blazers have the edge in field goal and free throw shooting percentage. Not only that, but they should be highly motivated after suffering a heartbreaking 102-101 loss to Dallas on Sunday night that snapped their streak of winning games when heading into the fourth quarter with a lead at 33 games. Damian Lillard scored 19 of his 30 points in the third quarter, but just two in the final frame as Dallas completed the big comeback. Lillard missed a layup in the closing seconds on a play that showed he clearly got fouled on.

“On the last play I got fouled two times,” Lillard told reporters. “I went behind the back and when I went behind the back, he reached across my body and pulled my right shoulder with his left arm. They didn’t call that. And then the foul that Zach (Collins) had been getting called for all night – the dude jumped forward right into me. It’s the same call.” Portland had been 33-0 when leading entering the fourth quarter.

Portland averages 113.1 points per game (10th) while allowing 110.2 points per contest defensively (13th). The Blazers have gone 10-14 SU and ATS on the road this season.

Team Statistics

Offense:
  • Average Score For: 113.05
  • Field Goals: 46.46%
  • Three Points: 36.14%
  • Free Throws: 81.83%
  • Rebounds: 47.62
Defense:
  • Average Score Against: 110.18
  • Field Goals: 45.72%
  • Three Points: 36.57%
  • Free Throws: 75.82%
  • Rebounds: 43.35

Why Bet on Oklahoma City at -6.5?

Is Oklahoma City the best NBA pick on Monday night vs Portland?

Why should you consider betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder in this contest? Well, the best reason would be because they’re playing their best basketball of the season right now. Oklahoma City has won three straight and 10 of its last 11 games overall including an impressive 117-112 win over Houston on Sunday night that saw Westbrook put up 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to compliment Paul George’s game-high 45 points and 11 rebounds.

“Obviously, Paul with what he did tonight was phenomenal, the way he played,” Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said afterward. “And he was on (Rockets star James Harden) a lot. He was unbelievable tonight on both ends of the floor.”

The Thunder are averaging 115.2 points per game (5th) while limiting the opposition to 109.8 points per contest defensively (12th). Oklahoma City has gone 19-7 SU and 15-11 ATS at home this season.

Team Statistics

Offense:
  • Average Score For: 115.22
  • Field Goals: 46.18%
  • Three Points: 35.32%
  • Free Throws: 71.42%
  • Rebounds: 48.02
Defense:
  • Average Score Against: 109.78
  • Field Goals: 45.78%
  • Three Points: 34.42%
  • Free Throws: 75.70%
  • Rebounds: 45.18

Trail Blazers vs Thunder NBA Betting Trends

  • Portland is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 games
  • Portland is 7-3 SU in the last 10 games
  • The total went OVER in 6 of Portland’s last 7 games
  • Oklahoma City is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 games
  • Oklahoma City is 10-1 SU in the last 11 games
  • The total went OVER in 12 of Oklahoma City’s last 16 games

Expert Analysis and Prediction for Trail Blazers vs Thunder

I know Oklahoma City is playing well right now and that they’re playing at home in this contest, but for me, I believe the 6.5-point spread is just a bit too high to cover against a Blazers team that is just about equal to Oklahoma City in every way.

Not only that, but Portland has gone a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following an SU loss. Oklahoma City is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games and 4-1 ATS in their last four home games, but the Blazers are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings while the underdog has gone 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings. I’m going with Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers to cover the chalk on the road while pushing Oklahoma City really hard for the outright win.

NBA Betting Pick: Oklahoma City 112 Portland 109