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The Oklahoma City Thunder (26-28) visit the Portland Trail Blazers (27-28) on Friday night. Action tips off at 10:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Thunder-Blazers prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Oklahoma City has won two of their last three games and sits in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Thunder covered 62% of their games while 59% went over the projected point total. Portland has lost two of their last three but remains in 10th place in the West. The Blazers covered 53% of their games while 53% went under. This will be the third of four meetings between the conference foes. Oklahoma City has won both previous games at home, although both games came within three points.
Here are the Thunder-Blazers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Thunder-Blazers Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +3 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers: -3 (-110)
Over: 240 (-110)
Under: 240 (-110)
How To Watch Thunder vs. Blazers
TV: Bally Oklahoma, Root Sports+
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Oklahoma City continues to be one of the most fun young teams in the league and they are fresh off spoiling LeBron's record-braking night with a win over the Lakers on Tuesday. The Thunder feature an explosive offense that ranks third in scoring with 117.6 PPG. They attack the rim relentlessly, averaging the fourth-most points in the paint with 55.4 PPG. That bodes well for their chances of covering tonight considering Portland ranks in the bottom half of the league in points in the paint allowed and opponent two-point field goal percentage. While OKC's defense isn't great, they do an excellent job at forcing turnovers, doing so at the third-highest rate in the league.
The Thunder are led by breakout star Shai Gilegous-Alexander. SGA finds himself in the midst of a career year with averages of 30.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 5.6 APG. SGA doesn't take a lot of threes but still maintains solid percentages of 51% from the floor and 36% from deep. Additionally, SGA is an incredibly underrated defender who averages 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Coming off a vintage 30-point, eight-assist outing against the Lakers, look for SGA to have another stellar night against a Portland team he has averaged 31 PPG against this season.
OKC is hardly a one-man show, however, as they have a pair of young wings that ooze potential. Josh Giddey, too, has had a breakout year as the second-year pro averages 16.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 5.9 APG. Giddey is incredibly versatile and is a nightly triple-double threat. Over his last five games, Giddey has averaged a strong 19-7-8 and should be in for a big night against Portland's 18th-ranked defense. That being said, Jalen Williams is the X-factor for the Thunder tonight. The 12th overall pick in last summer's draft, Williams is inconsistent but provides a ton of defensive versatility. Additionally, he is coming off one of the best games of his career when he scored 25 points, pulled down seven rebounds, and swiped six steals against the Lakers.
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
Portland sits right on the edge of making the play-in game as the Blazers hold a 0.5-game lead for 10th place. The Blazers are a strong offensive team, averaging 114.7 PPG – 12th in the league. They are especially dangerous from beyond the arc as they rank in the top ten in both threes per game (12.8) and three-point percentage (37%). While Portland isn't necessarily a strong rebounding team, they hold an advantage over the Thunder tonight thanks to their 15th-ranked rebound rate.
The Blazers are led by their strong guard play. Veteran Damian Lillard has been his usual self this season, averaging 30.9 PPG and 7.3 APG. In addition to his strong scoring and playmaking, Lillard has been lights-out from three. He averages four threes per game while shooting a solid 37% from beyond the arc. Dame has been especially hot in recent games, eclipsing 40 points in four of his last eight games.
Alongside Dame, Anfernee Simons continues to have a breakout season. For the year, he's averaged 21.8 PPG and 4.2 APG. While he isn't quite on Dame's level as a shooter, he isn't far off as the 23-year-old averages 3.6 threes per game while shooting 39% from beyond the arc. While Simons has averaged just 15.5 PPG against the Thunder this season, his track record suggests he is due for a breakout game. Additionally, Simmons is a much a better shooter at home where he hits 40% of his outside shots.
Final Thunder-Blazers Prediction & Pick
While OKC took the first two matchups, I like the Blazers to maintain their hold on the No. 10 seed and cover as home favorites tonight.
Final Thunder-Blazers Prediction & Pick: Portland Trail Blazers -3 (-110)
