NBA Picks: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers
Saturday, 1/19/13, 10:00 PM EST, TV: FGW
Opening Point Spread: Portland -4
Current Betting Line: Portland -4
Opening Total: 195
Current Total: 196
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The OVER is 13-5 in the last 18 meetings between the Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers

Milwaukee has alternated wins and losses over its last five games, coming off a 98-94 victory over the Phoenix Suns as one-point road favorites Thursday night, while going UNDER the total in two consecutive games. “We’re winning,” commented Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings. The Bucks have compiled a 4-2 record since assistant Jim Boylan replaced the fired Scott Skiles as coach last week. Jennings combines with backcourt mate Monta Ellis to score 37.2 points per game. Milwaukee is 3-15 ATS versus Northwest division opponents the last two-plus seasons, something to consider when making your pro basketball picks Saturday night.

The Bucks swept the Trail Blazers last season, including a resounding 116-87 victory as 3.5-point underdogs at the Rose Garden on March 20. Milwaukee ranks first in the NBA in averaging 7.71 blocks per game, with Larry Sanders leading the charge in that particular category. Offensively, the team should definitely find Mike Dunleavy on the perimeter, considering he’s knocked down 13 of his last 22 shots from beyond the arc in the last five games.

Portland has lost four games in a row, including a 93-88 setback to the Cleveland Cavaliers as six-point home favorites, while going UNDER the posted total of 197.5. “We had a chance to win, we should win this game,” commented Trail Blazers guard Nicolas Batum, who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The Trail Blazers haven’t lost three straight games to the Bucks since the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The winning team in this series has scored 100 or more points in eight of the last 10 meetings. Portland is 0-3 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 6 points this season, while the UNDER is 2-1 in that situation.

The Trail Blazers were led by star forward LaMarcus Aldridge on the offensive end in this series last year, averaging 21.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 57.1 percent from the field. Eight straight games for this squad have been decided by six or fewer points, the longest such streak for Portland since Jan. 1979.