NBA Picks: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Sacramento Kings

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Sacramento Kings
Tuesday, 1/7/14, 10:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Portland -5.5
Current Betting Line: Portland -4.5
Opening Total: 215
Current Total: 216
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Portland Trail Blazers have won the first two meetings of their series against the Sacramento Kings

Portland had its two-game winning streak snapped last time out, as it suffered a 101-99 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers as 12.5-point home favorites last Saturday, while going UNDER the betting total of 223.5. The Trail Blazers have all five probable starters averaging double figures, with forward LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way at 23.3 points a contest, which is important to consider when making your NBA betting picks. He’s coming off a 29-point performance last time out. Portland is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games following a SU loss.

The Trail Blazers are 2-0 SU against the Kings during the 2013-14 campaign, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NBA betting odds. Aldridge and center Robin Lopez both recorded double-doubles in the second matchup in this series, while point guard Damian Lillard averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 assists against the Kings during the 2012-13 campaign. The franchise has compiled a 13-4 SU record on the road—tied with the Spurs for the top mark in the league in that situation.

Sacramento has dropped back-to-back games as a home favorite, including a 113-103 setback to the Charlotte Bobcats last Saturday, while going OVER the betting total for the seventh time in eight contests. The Kings have scored 100 or more points in 15 of their last 16 games, including the last nine contests. It’s important to point out that the squad has allowed its last nine foes to go over the century mark. Sacramento is 3-10-1 ATS in its last 14 games following a double-digit loss at home.

The Kings will need a big performance from center DeMarcus Cousins, who is leading the team in averaging 23.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He’s one of only three players in the league averaging those types of numbers, with Aldridge being one of them. In the last 12 games, the trio of Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas is averaging 64.9 points per game—accounting for 63 percent of the team’s offensive production.