NBA Saturday Night Betting Action: Philadelphia 76ers at Portland Trail Blazers

Philadelphia at Portland
Time: 10 PM ET
Line: POR -12.5
Total: 224

Betting Odds courtesy of Bovada

The Portland Trail Blazers have the league’s highest scoring offense and it showed Thurs night in the team’s 134-103 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Six Blazers scored in double figures, led by Wes Matthews’ 25 points and Damian Lillard’s 24. The Blazers backcourt averages 38.2 points per game, while forward LaMarcus Aldridge leads the team in scoring with 23.2 points per game.

The Blazers “D” has been ranked in the bottom-third of the league’s defensive efficiencies, despite major improvements from acquiring Robin Lopez to man the paint. Tonight, the Blazers will find itself 12.5-point favorites according to NBA oddsmakers at Bovada, over a young visiting Philadelphia 76ers squad.

The Sixers started out the season 3-0 and caught the eyes of everyone around the league, but the team has won just 8-of-29 since that time and the original idea of tanking seems to have found its rebirth. The team was victorious over Sacramento Thurs night 113-104 and Thaddeus Young had a big game with 28 points. But the team has said to have been shopping both Young and shooting guard Evan Turner. The knock against Young is that he is a tweener and not suited for the 4-spot against a lot of lineups, and Turner has just wildly fallen short of expectations that had many comparing the Ohio State guard to Brandon Roy (pre-injury).

The brightest spot for the Sixers is that the team may have drafted the rookie of the year in Michael Carter-Wiliams. MCW is averaging 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game and is a very mature decision maker. The Sixers don’t have a lot of talent around him, which makes the 7.3 assists all the more impressive. When the team adds its prize lottery pick and Nerlens Noel to the fold, life may get much easier for the point guard from Syracuse.

PHI TRENDS: 0-4 ATS in last 4 Saturday games; OVER 7-1-1 in last 9 Saturday games; 1-6 ATS in last 7 playing on 1 days rest.

POR TRENDS: OVER 5-0 in last 5 on 1 days rest; OVER 4-0 in last 4 at home vs teams with losing road records; OVER 4-0 in last 4 following SU win of more than 10 points.