The Portland Trail Blazers might accept a move from Oregon to Portland, Maine if you asked them because they’re getting fantastic results against Eastern Conference teams this season. The Blazers are 17-4 SU and 14-7 ATS against the East, and that includes a 7-2 SU record on the road where they are tonight as 2.5-point underdogs in Boston. The total is 225.5.
Trail Blazers vs Celtics Game Center
Standout Stats
- Boston is 4-5 SU and 3-6 ATS on the second game of a back-to-back this season. The Celtics have only played a road game the night before a home game once in those nine instances – defeating Detroit 118-110 as a 3.5-point favorite on February 13.
- The Celtics are 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS since the all-star break when Kyrie Irving called out his teammates for not knowing how to win. Irving had seven points last night in Toronto. He has one year left on his contract and this team is going as far as he takes it.
- Portland is 3-0 SU and ATS to begin a seven-game road trip out of the break, including wins in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. The Blazers are scoring 122 points per game during this stretch, which is third in the NBA. Their +14 point differential since the break is second to Denver. Meanwhile, Boston’s -11 differential is 29th.
- The total has gone OVER in nine of Portland’s last 12 games (average combined score: 230.2) and in the Celtics’ last five home games (average combined score: 240.6). The total went UNDER by 20.5 points in the first meeting this season when Portland won 100-94.
- Boston and Portland are No. 6 and No. 7 respectively in terms of three-point percentage in the NBA. Boston scores 34.6 percent of its points from beyond the arc (second) while Portland is No. 17 at 29.3 percent.
- Portland is the No. 24 team at defending the three – Jayson Tatum was 5-for-9 in the first meeting and had a team-high 27 points. His season average is 16.3. He’s 3-for-6 combined from three-point territory in the three games since the break.
My Pick for Trail Blazers vs Celtics
Portland +2.5
I think the line is wrong for this game and given the circumstances as they are today, Portland should actually be the favorite. Boston has been a great team on home court this season but is just 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS at home vs the West.
The Celtics are on a slide and I don’t think a meeting with the surging Blazers is the tonic for their struggles right now. Boston has won just two of its last seven games and the reaction and body language in the post-game last night in Toronto was quite telling. I don’t believe the C’s will have enough time to park the negative coming into a really tough test tonight.
