The Golden State Warriors (28-26) visit the Portland Trail Blazers (26-28) on Wednesday night! Action Tips at 10:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a prediction, pick and how to watch the Warriors-Blazers.
Golden State has won two straight games to sit in seventh place in the Western Conference. The Warriors have covered 47% of their games while 62% have exceeded their target point total. Portland has lost two straight games and dropped to 12th place in the West. The Blazers covered 52% of their games while 54% sank. This will be the second of four meetings between the two teams. Earlier, Golden State won Game 1 118-112 in late December.
Here are the NBA Warriors-Blazers odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Warriors-Blazers Odds
Golden State Warriors: +2.5 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers: -2.5 (-110)
Plus: 234.5 (-110)
Minus: 234.5 (-110)
How to watch Warriors vs. Blazers
Television: NBCS Bay Area, Root Sports
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT
*Watch LIVE NBA games with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Why Warriors Might Cover the Spread
Golden State stayed the course despite Stephen Curry’s injury. Specifically, Golden State offers an elite offense that ranks second with 118.4 PPG. They do a great job of moving the ball around and finding open shooters. The Warriors average the most assists in the league with 29.7 APG. Consequently, they also lead the league by three, averaging 16.6 per game. They used all three balls to good effect in their previous win over the Blazers, draining 17/34 triples. Although they will surely miss their star, the Warriors are notably 8-8 without Steph. That being said, the Warriors have struggled on the road this season as they are only 7-20 behind Golden State.
With Steph out, the Warriors rely heavily on their pair of sniper guards. Jordan Poole has been the biggest beneficiary of Curry’s absences. In those 16 games, Poole averaged 27.6 PPG and 4.8 APG. As a result, Poole has shown time and time again that he has the ability to carry the Warriors to cover games. He was the catalyst for their previous win over Portland, scoring 41 points and providing six assists. Poole was particularly effective in the win, shooting 14/23 and hitting 5/10 threes.
As good as Poole was with Curry, Klay Thompson was the one to step up in his last game. Thompson drained 12 threes en route to 42 points in their win over the Thunder. While he can’t be expected to drop 40 again tonight, it’s certainly not out of the question given his game this year. For the season, Klay is averaging 21.3 PPG and 4.2 threes per game. Additionally, the sniper has been his usual self from beyond the arc, completing 41% of his threes.
The X factor for Golden State tonight is forward Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has struggled with injuries this season and hasn’t been as effective as he was in his All-Star season last year. That being said, he looks to be in better health and is coming off a solid 18-point outing on Monday night. As the best perimeter defender, he faces a daunting task against Portland’s plethora of offensive threats, but should be up to the task.
Why blazers could cover the spread
Portland find themselves on the outside tonight as they sit two spots out of the play-in game. That being said, the Blazers have a great chance to cover tonight thanks to their solid offense. While Portland ranks in the middle of the pack in scoring, they are deadly from beyond the arc. Consequently, the Blazers are averaging the eight plus three per game while shooting the seventh-highest percentage from deep. An underrated part of their success is their ability to reach the line as they shoot 20.1 free throws per game – fifth in the NBA.
Portland is led by their pair of talented guards. Damian Lillard is averaging the fifth-highest points per game with 30.8 PPG. He also remains a talented playmaker, ranking in the top 10 with 7.2 APG. Earlier, Dame was off in their win over the Warriors, scoring 34 points. With three 40-point games in his last five appearances, expect Lillard to shoot in a must-have game.
Anfernee Simons has quietly had a breakout season this year, averaging 22 PPG and 4.1 APG. Plus, Simons is deadly beyond the arc. He’s shooting 39% from deep while shooting 3.7 threes per game. With more than 21 points in five straight games, Simmons should give the Warriors a fit given their defensive struggles.
Final Warriors-Blazers Prediction and Picks
Golden State has some of the worst home/road splits in the league and I expect their road issues to continue tonight. Ride the house favorites with confidence.
Final Warriors-Blazers prediction and pick: Portland Trail Blazers -2.5 (-110)
