NBA Betting Picks March 7 – Oklahoma City Thunder at Portland Trail Blazers

Perhaps the Portland Trail Blazers were fatigued at the end of a season-long seven-game road trip. They went 5-2 on the excursion, but it ended with a thud in a 120-111 loss to Memphis.

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The trip also put to bed a stretch where they played nine of their past 10 games on the road, giving some comfort to a squad with a sub-.500 record away from the Moda Center. The Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder are tied with the Rockets for the third-seed in the West and the winner will get some separation, though it’s not likely to last long.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Portland Trail Blazers

Date and Time: Thursday, March 7, 2019, 10:30 p.m. ET

Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR

Opening NBA Odds: Portland -3.5, O/U 233

Thunder at Trail Blazers TV Coverage: TNT

Odds Analysis

OKC had been so good for such a long stretch of time that a relapse was almost expected, especially with a reliance on just a few players. Well, it finally caught up with them. The Thunder snapped a four-game losing streak with a comeback win over the Grizzlies, but they turned around and were thwarted by Minnesota last time out, their fifth loss in six games and their sixth in the last eight. OKC was 11-1 in its previous 12 outings, which included a pair of wins over the Blazers.

After such a strong start to their road trip, the Blazers had to feel disappointed with the way it ended. Still, winning five of seven is a revelation for a team that has struggled on the road this season. Some say the most difficult game is the first one at home after a lengthy trip. With a small sample size, the Blazers can refute that theory. They are 2-1 SU and ATS in three previous home tilts following a road trip of at least three games. And their 24 wins at Moda Center are the third-most among Western Conference teams.

Thunder

When you rely on two players for nearly 45 percent of your offensive production, there’s always a chance an injury can impact the team’s play. Hello, OKC. The Thunder were minus leading scorer Paul George with a shoulder ailment and points were hard to come by. So were the wins. With PG13 on the shelf, the Thunder produced 104, 102 and 99 points in a three-game stretch, their three lowest scoring outputs in the last 25 games. They needed a fourth-quarter rally to upend Memphis for the only victory in that span.

George leads OKC with 28.6 points per game and is clearly the catalyst of the offense. He returned to the lineup Tuesday to score 25 points and the Thunder dropped 121 on the Wolves, but still lost for the fifth time in six games. With George and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder have two of the best offensive players in the game, but they will need help if they are to go make some noise once the playoffs start.

Trail Blazers

We’re still about a month away from the postseason, but these teams could meet in the first round and the Blazers would like to at least get one victory over the Thunder this season. And considering their disparity in home and road splits, getting homecourt advantage would definitely be a blessing. Despite their recent 5-2 road trip, the Blazers are still two games below the break-even point, compared to their 24-8 home record. One of those losses was administered by the Thunder and the Blazers lost twice in OKC, going 0-3 ATS.

Portland has its own one-two punch of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and the duo has been frighteningly good. McCollum scored 27 points and Lillard 24 in the loss to Memphis. One of the two has led the team in scoring in 57 of Portland’s 64 games. The under-the-radar signing of Enes Kanter has boosted offensive efficiency. Kanter creates more space for his teammates. Portland is 5-1 in games Kanter has played since joining the team.

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It’s hard to beat a team four times in a season. And it’s more difficult when the teams are as evenly-matched as these two. With George back in the lineup, the Thunder will have their offense in high gear. The Blazers should tickle the twine as well against OKC’s leaky defense. This will be close, but I like the Blazers to thwart Westbrook while Dame and CJ take over, getting the Portland another home win.

NBA Score Prediction: Trail Blazers 119, Thunder 112