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Now that the All-Star break is over, teams are getting back out on the court after a week off as they look to push toward the playoffs. The Warriors will begin their post-ASG journey with a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers, with tipoff set for 10:00 p.m. ET at Moda Center on Thursday.
The Warriors have stumbled recently, losing four of their last five games, with their only win in that stretch coming as a 117-115 thriller, narrowly edging out the Lakers. They’ll look to get back on track as they head out on the road for five of their next six games, with a tough schedule that includes the Mavericks twice, the Lakers, and the Nuggets.
The Trail Blazers went into the All-Star break on a hot streak, winning four games in a row, including a 123-119 victory over the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies. Jusuf Nurkic led the team with 32 points and eight rebounds, while Anfernee Simons followed closely with 31 points and six assists in the win.
Regardless of recent track records, the Dubs are favored to win by 8.5 points, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Their moneyline odds come in at -350 while Portland is at +270. The point total is set at 223.
Warriors vs. Trail Blazers, 10:00 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Trail Blazers +8.5 (-110)
Whether the Blazers actually win the game or not, a spread set that high for a team that won their last four games straight should leave it open for them to cover. Sure, Portland will be without Damian Lillard (abdominal surgery), Nassir Little (shoulder), Eric Bledsoe (Achilles), and a few others, but other players like Nurkic, Simons, and Josh Hart have stepped up in a big way to help keep the team afloat. In addition to his 32 he logged against the Grizzlies, Jurkic also put up 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds against the Bucks last week, while Simons dropped 31 and Hart ended with 27.
On the other hand, the Warriors will be looking to get back to their winning ways, especially after Stephen Curry just put up a huge 50 points in the All-Star Game last weekend. They’ll be missing forward Draymond Green (calf) and Andre Iguodala (back), but other than that the Dubs will have a relatively healthy full strength squad.
That said, Golden State is 2-8 ATS through their last 10 games, while failing to cover in their last seven outings straight. Take the Blazers to keep the game relatively close and cover the spread at home.
Over/Under: Over 223 (-110)
The Warriors have gone over the total six times in their last 10 games, while the Blazers haven’t fared as well, hitting the over in just four of their last 10. However, they’ve gone over in their last two straight, and the point total is set lower than both of those games were. Expect both fully-rested teams to come out with fresh legs and most likely easily take this game over the total.
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