The Golden State Warriors will try to get back on track when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers for a Western Conference NBA battle on Thursday night at the Moda Center. The Warriors (41-17) lost four of five heading into the All-Star break but remain second in the West behind the Suns. Portland (25-34) has won four in a row and is 10th in the conference, the final play-in spot for the playoffs. The teams have met twice already this season, with the Warriors winning both by at least 10 points, but Portland has a 7-6 series lead since the start of the 2018 season.
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET in Portland, Ore. Caesars Sportsbook lists Golden State as a nine-point favorite in its latest Warriors vs. Blazers odds, and the over-under for total points is set at 223.5. Before making any Blazers vs. Warriors picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 69-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has broken down the Warriors vs. Blazers matchup, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the NBA odds and betting lines for Trail Blazers vs. Warriors:
Warriors vs. Blazers spread: Golden State -9Warriors vs. Blazers over-under: 223.5 points Warriors vs. Blazers money line: Golden State -440, Portland +340GSW: They are 6-7-2 ATS as a road favorite this season POR: They are 6-8 ATS this season as a home underdog
Featured Game | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors
Why the Warriors can cover
Golden State is 9-7 against the spread after a loss and will be eager to get back to winning. It remains one of the NBA’s best shooting teams, with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins all capable of lighting it up from outside. The Warriors are fifth-best in the league in 3-point shooting at 36.2 percent and eighth from the field (46.6). Wiggins hits 41.4 percent from beyond the arc, while Curry and Thompson are both above 37 percent. Curry has made 50 more 3-pointers (on 128 more tries) than any other player and is the team’s top scorer at 25.8 points per game.
Blazers opponents shoot 47.2 percent from the floor (26th in the league) and 37.2 from 3-point range (29th). The Warriors are 29-26-1 ATS overall this season, and as strong as the offense is, the defense has been even better. The Warriors are in the top five in the NBA in nearly every defensive category, allowing 103.7 points per game (fourth) and 43.3 percent shooting (second). They average almost two rebounds more per game than Portland (45.8-44.1) and rank second in the league in steals, getting 9.3 per game, with Curry at 1.4.
Why the Blazers can cover
Portland has covered the spread in all four games during the win streak, and it will have the home crowd behind it as it tries to build on that strong run. The Blazers have scored more than 120 points in the past two games. The addition of Josh Hart in a trade with New Orleans seems to have sparked the offense. He has scored at least 22 in his three games and averages a team-high 24 for the season. Anfernee Simons has at least 29 in each game of the win streak and is averaging 17 per game.
Simons scored 31 points in a 123-119 victory against Memphis last Wednesday, hitting five of his 10 3-point tries, and he is shooting 40 percent from long range. Hart had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists against the Grizzlies. The Blazers have gotten 16 of their 25 wins at home, and they are 15-17 ATS at the Moda Center this season. They allow 112 points per game for the season but have given up an average of 105 over their past nine games. Golden State has allowed an average of 115.6 over its past five.
How to make Warriors vs. Blazers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 219 combined point. It also says one side of the spread is hitting more than 60 percent of the time. You can only get the model’s Blazers vs. Warriors pick at SportsLine.
So who wins the Blazers vs. Warriors matchup on Thursday night? And which side of the spread is hitting more than 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of Warriors vs. Blazers to back, all from the advanced model on a 69-41 run on its top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
