After sweeping Oklahoma City in back-to-back home games Tuesday and Wednesday evening, the Portland Trail Blazers open a six-game road trip Friday night against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center, with both teams seeking their first NBA Cup win.

Portland (8-3) followed a 128-108 victory over the Thunder on Tuesday with a 118-108 win on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers have won five of their first six road games, including a 128-120 victory over the Kings in Sacramento three weeks ago.

Sacramento (1-10) has lost the first four games of a seven-game homestand, including Tuesday’s 107-100 defeat against Orlando.

Trail Blazers vs. Kings NBA Betting Odds

Portland is a 9.5-point favourite on the NBA odds after averaging 119.5 points and allowing 112.3 per game through its first 11 contests.

Sacramento averages 108.3 points while allowing 121.0. The Kings have been outscored by 12.7 points per game and are 0-6 at home.

The teams’ average scoring margins are 19.9 points apart. Their first meeting was closer, with Portland winning 128-120 on October 23.

Portland made 14 three-pointers in that game, six more than Sacramento. Toumani Camara accounted for five of them and finished with 19 points.

Portland Trail Blazers

Deni Avdija led Portland with 28 points, six assists and four steals against OKC on Wednesday. Jrue Holiday made five three-pointers and scored 19 points, while Sidy Cissoko added 19 off the bench.

Damian Lillard scored 18 points, giving Portland another perimeter threat alongside Holiday. With Ja Morant sidelined by a hamstring injury, Lillard and Holiday can share the ball-handling duties while Avdija attacks off the dribble.

Robert Williams III contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds across the two Oklahoma City wins. He also made all six of his field-goal attempts in the first meeting with Sacramento, scoring 13 points in 18 minutes.

His work around the basket gives Portland another way to score if Sacramento takes away the three-point looks that decided the October matchup.

Sacramento Kings

Zach LaVine scored 31 points against Orlando, but Sacramento committed 20 turnovers that led to 33 points. The Kings were also outscored 58-28 in the paint.

Domantas Sabonis went scoreless on two shots in 24 minutes after entering that game with a sore left knee. Sacramento will need him more involved against Portland.

Sabonis had 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in the first meeting. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 33, giving the Kings a second way to pressure Portland’s interior defence. The rookie leads the team in scoring with 26.2 points per game.

Sacramento had an extra day off before this game. Better ball security would help the Kings use that rest advantage and force Portland to score against a set defence.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Trail Blazers vs. Kings?

Portland has enough shooting to stretch Sacramento’s defence and enough size to make Sabonis work for his points.

The Kings kept the first meeting within eight by scoring 120 points. That’s a tough number to repeat against a Portland team that held Oklahoma City to 108 points in both games this week.

Expect Portland’s perimeter scoring and Sacramento’s turnover problems to widen the margin late.

Best bet: Portland Trail Blazers -9.5 

TRAILBLAZERS

Away

121

KINGS

Home

107

Score
Predictions

Matchup