The Portland Trail Blazers are hoping to extend their best winning run of the season when they host the Western Conference’s top side on Sunday.
The Trail Blazers are on a four-game winning streak, but their 17-28 record leaves them 13th in the West. Meanwhile, OKC are six games clear of the second-placed Houston Rockets as they look to top the conference for a second season on the spin.
Isaiah Hartenstein over 21.5 combined points & rebounds - 20/23
The Thunder have the fewest losses of any NBA team this season, with just eight defeats in 44 games. To still be in single digits for losses past the halfway point of the campaign is impressive, but the Thunder are even stronger when close to full strength.
Five of their eight defeats have come in games where they’ve been missing both Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder don’t have a lot of size beyond those two, but with one or both in the side they’re 30-3 for the season.
The Thunder rank 23rd in terms of rebounding, but both Holmgren and Hartenstein are fantastic in that regard. OKC added Hartenstein in free agency after struggling to contain the Dallas Mavericks’ height in the play-offs last season and the former New York Knick has delivered, averaging 12.2 rebounds per game.
Hartenstein is also a fine offensive option, recording 11.8 points per game on 56% shooting from the field. That gives him a combined average of 23 points and rebounds per game and Sunday’s clash looks like a great matchup for him.
Portland ranks 26th on defensive rating and they’ll be without starting centre Deandre Ayton for this clash. While the Trail Blazers rank fifth for offensive rebounds this season, Ayton leads the team in that regard. Rookie center Donovan Clingan will be matching up with Hartenstein here, so back the Thunder big man to win that battle.
Anfernee Simons under 19.5 points - 20/23
The Trail Blazers are on a winning run, but their focus will surely be on positioning themselves for this summer’s NBA draft. Portland are six games shy of the Play-In, but there’s a real gap in quality between them and the 12 sides above them.
The Blazers look to be putting Anferee Simons in the shop window ahead of the trade deadline as part of that rebuild. The guard has scored 27, 21 and 24 points across his last three games as part of this good winning run.
However, those tallies came in meetings with Miami, Orlando and the Charlotte Hornets. That run has lifted his line for this clash to 19.5 points, but the Thunder should do a better job of keeping him quiet.
OKC have the NBA’s best defensive rating, conceding just 104.3 points per game. Even in Lu Dort’s absence, the Thunder have solid wing players who can shut down Simons. The Portland guard scored just nine points in his last clash with the Thunder, so take the under.
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Money Line | Spread | Over/Under | |
POR Trail Blazers | +13.5 - 10/11 | Under 225.5 - 10/11 | |
OKC Thunder | -13.5 - 10/11 | Over 225.5 - 10/11 |
Oklahoma City Thunder -13.5 - 10/11
The Thunder won 137-114 in their first visit to Portland this season, while they won the follow-up contest by 10 points. That margin should increase in Ayton’s absence, while the Trail Blazers’ home advantage is negated by the fact they were on a three-game Eastern Conference road trip for most of this week.
The Thunder have failed to cover the spread on just 15 occasions this season.
After a few favourable matchups, the Trail Blazers appear to be out of their depth here. Take the Thunder -13.5 in this contest at 10/11.
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