NBA Predictions: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors

Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors
Wednesday, 2/15/12, 10:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Golden State -2.5
Current Betting Line: Golden State -5
Opening Total: 197.5
Current Total: 196.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge will miss tonight's game with an ankle injury

Portland has lost its last two games and will be playing the second contest of a back-to-back situation, dropping a 124-109 decision to the Washington Wizards as 15-point home favorites last night. The Trail Blazers will be playing without the services of LaMarcus Aldridge, who left Tuesday’s game with a sprained left ankle, which was a big blow due to leading the team in scoring. “I think when he went down the life went out of us,” stated Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby. Portland is 15-14 ATS on the season.

The Trail Blazers have dropped 17 of the last 24 meetings in this series against the Warriors, including wins in 11 of the last 12 games inside Oracle Arena. Golden State outscored Portland by a 105.5-to-92.8 point margin in the four meetings a year ago. Portland is 4-10 on the road this season and will need Nicolas Batum to step up his production offensively without Aldridge in the lineup, as he tied a career high in scoring 33 points last night.

Golden State has won its last three games in straight-up and ATS fashion, including a 102-96 win over the Phoenix Suns as three-point home favorites. The Warriors have also managed to go “under” the total in three consecutive contests. “We need to get back in this race, and all we can do is win games,” commented Warriors forward David Lee. “We need to protect our home court better than we did at the start of the year.” The team is 8-8 at home on the year, including an even 5-5 mark versus Western Conference foes. Golden State is 4-4 ATS as a favorite this year.

The Warriors have won four straight games over the Trail Blazers, including a 101-93 win as 3.5-point home favorites on Jan. 25. Shooting guard Monta Ellis is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 22.5 points per game on the season, while scoring 27.3 points a night over the last six games. Golden State has been lighting it up from beyond the arc, hitting 49.6 percent of its 3-point shots over the past five games, while currently leading the NBA in shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc overall.