Tip off: 8:30 PM EST
Spread: SAS -13
Total: 207.5
M/L: SAS -1800, POR +1100
Bet at Bookmaker, the source of these NBA betting odds
To say this has been a disappointing season for the Portland Trail Blazers would be a huge understatement. They lost Brandon Roy to a career ending knee injury and then had to waive former first overall pick Greg Oden, because, well, there was no place on the roster for someone that isn’t going to play any time soon. The Blazers are stuck in limbo, too, which makes it even worse. At 28-36, they aren’t going to land a top pick in the draft, and though it is a deep draft, they need a franchise guard to pair with power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
Somehow, despite the injuries to Manu Ginobili, the Spurs sit atop the Western Conference with a 1.5 game lead over the 2nd seeded Thunder. The Spurs don’t offer a lot of excitement, but their depth and team talent is still undeniable. Even with Tim Duncan on his last legs, Tony Parker has put in a season that could land him on the First All – NBA team. Add to that the development of Tiago Splitter and Kawhi Leonard, and the Spurs are rebuilding without ever deconstructing, something that is almost impossible in professional sports.
Acquiring Stephen Jackson could pay dividends, too, as the swing man has already won a championship with Popovich’s Spurs in 2003. It’s just more depth to a team that already has plenty. I don’t expect the Spurs to reach the Western Conference Finals, not with the Memphis Grizzlies and L.A. Clippers as possible second round foes, but given the talent on their team and playoff experience, I’m far from counting them out, and they will of course be favorites in either series.
Trail Blazers Betting Trends:
Portland is 31-33 AT this season and 11-16 ATS as an underdog. They are 13-18 ATS in road games and 20-23 ATS in the second half of the season. They are 4-7 ATS vs teams that score 99+ ppg.
Spurs Betting Trends:
The Spurs are an outstanding 40-20 ATS the season and 31-15 ATS as a favorite. They are 29-9 ATS in the second half of the season and 6-1 ATS vs teams with losing records in the second half of the year. They are also 16-6 ATS following a winning streak of more than 3 games, and 9-2 ATS in the month of April.
