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The NBA is in full swing and games will continue Monday night. The Portland Trail Blazers will travel to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Blazers-76ers prediction and pick.
Both of these teams have had solid starts to the season. The Blazers are 3-3, coming off a disappointing road loss to a tough opponent. The Sixers are 4-2, coming off a dominant victory at home. This should be a competitive game between two solid teams.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds for the Blazers-76ers Monday night matchup.
NBA Odds: Blazers-76ers Odds
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Portland Trail Blazers: +5 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers: -5 (-110)
Over: 219.5 (-110)
Under: 219.5 (-110)
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
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The Portland Trail Blazers have had ups and downs through this short lived season. They have won half of their games this season. Five out of six of their games have been decided by a wide margin. The Blazers have been either well ahead or well behind with the exception of one game. Portland is coming off a tough loss to the Hornets. Charlotte is a good team this year and were able to out perform the Blazers in the fourth quarter. Portland will look to bounce back against another tough opponent.
CJ McCollum has been the main source of offense for this Blazers team. The ninth year guard is averaging a career high 24.3 points per game. He has been keeping this team in games through Damian Lillard's struggles. McCollum will do what he always does on Monday night but it will be up to the rest of the team to step up. If CJ can keep Portland in the game and the rest of the team can step up then the Blazers could win this game. But he can't do it alone.
Damian Lillard has been having the worst season of his career. Maybe it was all the trade talk in the offseason or maybe there's another reason, but Dame has been struggling. Everyone knows what he is capable of, so never dismiss him. If Lillard can bounce back and start turning things around on Monday then the Blazers could definitely win this one. That's a big if though, since Dame has shown no signs of turning things around. But never count him out. Damian Lillard is one of the best talents in the NBA and if he goes off on Monday the Blazers will run away with this one.
Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
The Philadelphia 76ers have won their last two games and are coming off their biggest win of the season. The Sixers dismantled the Atlanta Hawks, winning 122 – 94. This was the most impressive performance from Philadelphia this season. Philadelphia played as a team, distributed the ball and scoring across the whole team, and destroyed a tough team. If the Sixers can carry that momentum and team basketball into this matchup then they should be able to take care of the Blazers.
The face and leader of the Sixers is Joel Embiid. Philadelphia is all in on Embiid and that seems to have been a good mood. The big man is averaging 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game. When opposing teams play the Sixers they game plan for Embiid. If an opponent hopes to take down the Sixers they need to limit Embiid and that is very tough to do. Joel will look to dominate in the paint against Portland. If he gets going and forces the defense to adjust to him then the rest of the offense will open up.
A bright spot on this Sixers team has been Seth Curry. The vast majority of people neglect the “other” Curry brother but he is a beast in his own right. Curry is averaging a career high 15.3 points per game and is shooting a mind boggling 63% from beyond the arc. He is instant offense for this team and has played a big role in helping the team gain momentum. Curry gets the Sixers out of scoring slumps and plays an important role on the team. If he gets going then Philadelphia will be tough to stop.
Final Blazers-76ers Prediction & Pick
These teams seem to be trending in different directions. The Blazers need to figure things out. Dame is in a slump and Portland hasn't looked like the team they have been in the past. Philadelphia, on the other hand, has been gaining momentum and playing very solid basketball. Portland could possibly turn things around, but bet on the Sixers to get this win. Pick Philadelphia to win and cover and hope that Monday isn't the night that Dame decides to wake up.
FINAL BLAZERS-76ERS PICK: Philadelphia 76ers -5 (-110)
FINAL BLAZERS-76ERS SCORE PREDICTION: 76ers 115 – Blazers 104
