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Andrew Rogers
Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers: Game 1 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
Few expected the New Orleans Pelicans to qualify for the postseason after losing DeMarcus Cousins to a season-ending leg injury – but they not only reached the playoffs, they should be competitive in opening-round action as they visit the Portland Trail Blazers in their series opener Saturday night.
NBA Playoffs Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Home court might ultimately decide this one – and that gives Portland a comfortable edge, both in Game 1 and in the series odds (-248). The Blazers have been a solid home-court play for most of the season, and come in having covered 20 of their previous 27 games at Moda Center. New Orleans has also failed to cover in five straight games against Southwest Division foes, while the home team has gone 9-4 ATS in their previous 13 head-to-head encounters.
The Pelicans’ total trends are all over the place; they’re 2-5 O/U in their previous seven games away from New Orleans, but have gone above the number in 11 of their past 16 encounters with Northwest Division opponents. Portland, meanwhile, is skewing heavily toward the over in recent weeks, having gone above the total in six of seven games following a straight-up win and 4-1 O/U in its last five meetings with teams from the Southwest Division.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans enter the postseason with the worst odds of any team to reach the NBA Finals (+6,600) – but bettors can still find value here. For one thing, New Orleans ranked third in the NBA in scoring at 111.7 points per game while surrendering more than 110 points at the other end – so watch those totals and consider the over. The Pelicans also averaged a league-best 29.3 second-quarter points, so look at New Orleans as a strong play for a 2Q win prop.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers don’t have much of a reputation among casual fans and bettors as a defensive power, but they finished in the top five in field-goal defense (44.7 percent), opponent two-point success rate (48.4 percent) and effective field-goal percentage against (50.3). They also did plenty of damage from the free-throw line, ranking third overall with an 80-percent success rate. Portland is +2,500 to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.
