Tip off: 8:05 PM EST
Spread: OKC -4.5
Total: 195
M/L: OKC -190, POR +160
Portland started out the season 3-0, but lost Sunday night by 5 in a game against the Clippers at the Staples Center. Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score a team high 23 points on 7 of 16 shooting, while staple LaMarcus Aldridge put up 19 and grabbed 9 boards. The problem for the Blazers was that they were able to get their entire six man rotation involved in the offense and it made for compact scoring punch, with four players scoring 13 or more.
The Thunder have established themselves as legit contenders now. They won their first five games of the season before losing by 13 to the defending champs on the road. Kevin Durant is putting up 27.3 points per game and grabbing a 2nd team high 6.2 boards per game. James Harden (16.0 ppg) has been a pleasant surprise, as well, and has relegated starter Thabo Sefolosha to the role of a spot minutes situational defender.
Portland Betting Trends:
Portland is 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games and the total has gone UNDER in 5 of their last 6 on the road. The Blazers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 road games and they are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 on the road, as well. The total has gone UNDER in 12 of their last 16 games against OKC, and the total has gone UNDER in 8 of their last 9 games on the road against the Thunder. The Blazers are 5-11 SU in their last 16 games on the road against OKC.
OKC Thunder:
The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games and they are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games. The Thunder are 19-5 SU in their last 24 at home and they are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home. The total has gone OVER in 4 of their last 6 at home, and the total has gone UNDER in 12 of their last 16 against Portland. The Thunder are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games against the Blazers and the Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home against the Blazers. The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the last 9 games at home against the Blazers and the Thunder are 11-5 SU in their last 16 home games against Portland.
Key Matchups:
Nicolas Batum vs. Kevin Durant
Durant has beat up on everyone this year, but Batum has the reputation of being one of the better defenders from the wing position. He has the size and length to match up favorably with Durant, but there are a lot of players that such can be said about who fail to matchup well with Durant well at all in actuality. Still, if Batum can prevent Durant from getting hot and getting a lot of shots off early, the Blazers could find a way to pull an upset win in this one. They are only 4.5 point dogs and LaMarcus Aldridge will find a way to get his, as well.
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