BRO at POR
Time: Sat: 9 PM CST
Spread: POR -3.5
Total: 205
Betting odds c/o Bovada
The Portland Trail Blazers were no mirage last season. The team has started off 6-3 on the season and is sitting at the No. 4 spot in the West.
Wednesday night, the Blazers manhandled the Nuggets, winning by 17 points behind a 27 point, nine assist game from All-Star point guard Damian Lillard. The Blazers enter this game as 3.5-point favorites at home against the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn is 4-4 on the season thus far. The Nets had played a soft schedule up until Nov 12, proceeding then to lose to the Phoenix Suns and most recently Golden State on Nov 13. Prior to those losses, the Nets had won four of its past five games.
Joe Johnson has continued to produce despite a bloated contract and age. The long-time Atlanta Hawk is averaging 19 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Deron Williams seems to have a renewed focus and is getting back to his days in Utah. While Williams may average just 6.5 assists per game (unlike the 10-plus with Jerry Sloan in Utah), he’s averaging 18.6 points per game in 37 minutes a night. Brook Lopez has been eased back into action with 27.8 minutes per game, but he’s producing well when he plays, posting a 20.6 PER.
The Nets seem to have taken steps forward without Jason Kidd at the helm. Lionel Hollins is a far better coach than given credit for, and he kept a decent Memphis Grizzlies team very relevant for long enough to deserve tenure, but he is a better fit for Brooklyn than Kidd, especially when it is considered J-Kidd played with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson.
Portland is No. 1 in the league in rebounding with 47.2 boards per game, largely a factor of the torrid pace the Blazers play at. Portland is averaging 105.4 points per game and allowing just 97.2.
The Blazers have won three straight over Denver (twice) and Charlotte. Lillard and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge combine to average 42.7 points per game, while both posting PERs above 22. Aldridge destroyed Houston in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA playoffs, scoring 45 points and 41 in the series against the Rockets.
This season, he is shooting 45.8 percent from the floor and 41.7 from three (on 1.3 attempts per game), while hitting 84.4 percent from the stripe. Aldridge is also blocking 1.3 shots per game and dishing out over two assists per contest. All that said, he’ll miss this game with a respiratory illness which will hurt the Blazers immensely.
Even with this being a home game, bettors should favor the Nets on a money line bet due to Aldridge being out. Lillard is extremly good, but not good enough to carry Portland to victory sans L.A.
