Bets and odds for Thursday’s four-game NBA slate, highlighted by the Pelicans welcoming the Trail Blazers.
The nightly NBA schedule calms down a bit Thursday with just four games.
After 13 games took place Wednesday and all 30 teams played Monday night, this slate seems slow in comparison. But there’s still games that stand out. Kristaps Porzingis and the Wizards host his former team, the Mavericks, and then there’s 76ers-Hawks, two teams with a bit of postseason history, if you recall.
The game I’m focusing on in this preview, though, is Trail Blazers-Pelicans. It’s the first meeting of the season between these Western Conference foes and it should be a good one considering how they’ve both played up to this point.
Find the Portland-New Orleans betting breakdown below, as well as the odds and lines for the other three games on the docket.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Spread: Trail Blazers +6.5 (-110) | Pelicans -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Trail Blazers (+205) | Pelicans (-250)
Total: 224.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Trail Blazers Straight-Up Record: 8-3
Trail Blazers Against The Spread Record: 9-2
Pelicans Straight-Up Record: 6-5
Pelicans Against The Spread Record: 5-6
No team has been more successful on the road so far than the Trail Blazers. They are 5-1 away from the Moda Center and are 3-1 on their current road trip, having downed the Hornets, 105-95, Wednesday. Guards Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons returned to the team earlier this week, though Portland is dealing with injuries in the frontcourt to Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic.
The Blazers will need their bigs to bang down low with the Pelicans, who rank top-five in rebounding. Thursday’s game begins a six-game homestand for New Orleans, which has played much of the early part of its schedule on the road. Its star trio of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum will be healthy and available against Portland, though it was Jonas Valanciunas who led the team to victory Wednesday in Chicago with yet another double-double.
Teams have not been able to put away Portland, which is tied for the best record against the spread in the league. This spread is wide enough that I feel comfortable going with the Blazers on the road, where they’ve performed well already, especially with both teams on the second night of a back-to-back.
On short rest and considering the way the Trail Blazers’ defense has stepped up this season, I like them getting the points in a low-scoring contest.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Spread: Mavericks -3.5 (-110) | Wizards +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Mavericks (-163) | Wizards (+138)
Total: 208.5 — Over (+100) | Under (-118)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Spread: 76ers +1.5 (-110) | Hawks -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: 76ers (+100) | Hawks (-118)
Total: 221.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Hornets +10.5 (-110) | Heat -10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Hornets (+410) | Heat (-549)
Total: 214 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
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