NBA Predictions: Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs

Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Friday, 1/16/14, 8:30 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: San Antonio -5
Current Betting Line: San Antonio -6
Opening Total: 212.5
Current Total: 213.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Portland Trail Blazers are dangerous road underdogs Friday

Portland has won three games in a row, including a 108-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers as 10.5-point home favorites Wednesday, while going UNDER the betting total of 211.5. The Trail Blazers have all five probable starters averaging in double figures, with forward LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way at 23.8 points a contest, which can’t be ignored when making your NBA predictions. He is coming off a 32-point performance last time out. Portland is 7-1 SUATS as underdogs this season, with the OVER going 6-2 in that situation.

The Trail Blazers are 13-5 against the Spurs in regular season play since the beginning of the 2008-09 campaign, which is important to consider when looking over the pro basketball odds page. Portland has compiled a 16-4 SU record in back-to-back situations thus far, with 10 of those wins coming on the road. Second-year point guard Damian Lillard is important to handicap in this affair, as he’s averaged 27.3 points in four career games in this series.

San Antonio is riding a six-game winning streak, as it comes off a 109-105 victory over the Utah Jazz as 13.5-point home favorites Wednesday, while going OVER the betting total of 199.5. The Spurs are 16-5 SU at home this season, including a 10-3 mark when taking on Western Conference opponents. Offensively, the team has five probable starters averaging in double figures, with point guard Tony Parker leading the way at 18.1 points a contest. San Antonio is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 6 points, with the UNDER going 3-2 in that situation.

The Spurs have one of the best benches in the league, as their reserves rank first in the NBA in averaging 45.2 points per game, while sitting behind just five teams in grabbing 16.3 rebounds a contest. Parker is shooting 57.1 percent over his last nine games, but he’s been limited to 41.5 percent in his last seven matchups in this series.