After a crushing sweep in the Sportsbook round of last year’s playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers will have revenge on their minds when they host the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. The Blazers have won back-to-back games by holding opponents to less than 100 points and are 19-6 SU in their last 25 games at home. The Pellies, on the other hand, are on the second game of a back-to-back after getting smoked by the Warriors and have dropped three straight.
The Blazers opened as 3.5-point favorites with a total of 232.
- The Trail Blazers are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games at home vs teams with winning records.
- The Pelicans are 7-1 SU and ATS in their last eight games with no days off between games.
- The average combined score of the Pelicans’ seven games this season is 242.8.
Pelicans vs Blazers Game Center
Blazers Have Been A Great Spread Bet at The Moda Center
When thinking of NBA arenas that are a tough venue for opposing teams, the Moda Center should be near the top of the list. Portland is 23-6 SU in its last 29 games at home and when teams with winning records come to town, the Blazers have been very generous to spread bettors as they’re 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games in that spot.
The Trail Blazers are ranked sixth in points per game at 117 while defensively they’ve pulled up their shorts in that department by holding the opposition to 109.1 points per game, which ranks seventh. Opposing teams are only managing to shoot 42 percent from the field on them, which seems to have carried over from last year when they ranked fourth in that category.
The Blazers may be a decent spread bet if Anthony Davis doesn’t play tonight but if he does, the matchups on the floor are very similar to last year’s playoff series, which means I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking Portland to cover.
Pellies Have Been Killer on Back-to-Backs
Typically, when a team is on the second game of a back-to-back, bettors would feel cautious about backing them but the Pelicans have been an exception to the rule lately. New Orleans is 7-1 SU and ATS in its last eight games in this spot and Anthony Davis may be the main reason for that success.
The Brow is averaging 25.2 points, 13 rebounds, 5.2 assists and an insane 3.2 blocks per game. He is the only player outside of LeBron who can dictate the flow on both ends of the floor and he is plenty familiar with Portland after destroying the Blazers in last year’s playoffs.
I know the Pelicans are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games but being on a back-to-back makes it hard for me to endorse a spread bet on either side. If I had to choose, you can’t go wrong with betting on the best player on the court.
Is Any Total Too High when it Comes to the Pelicans?
The total opened at 224.5 and has since jumped to 232 but even that number shouldn’t scare off totals bettors in this matchup. The OVER has hit in five of the Pelicans’ seven games this season and the average combined score is 242.8. Considering the Pellies average 122.7 points but give up over 120.6, I can’t see this being a low-scoring game.
My Pick Is…
To take the OVER or take the Pellies to cover the spread. Anthony Davis made mincemeat of this team in last year’s playoffs so they could be a decent cover bet but I like the OVER between the two wagers mainly because of how many points the Pelicans allow and how the Trail Blazers are also a top-six scoring team in the league.
