The Portland Trail Blazers (19-47) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (40-26) on Saturday, March 16th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on BSNO. The Pelicans are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Trail Blazers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Clippers. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Trail Blazers vs Pelicans

The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In the game against the Knicks, Deandre Ayton was the top scorer for Portland, recording 31 points. His field goal percentage for the game was 40.5%. Dalano Banton finished 2nd on the team with 16 points, but Portland ended the game with a 105-93 loss.

In their quest to beat the Pelicans, the Trail Blazers have a season record of 19-47. At home, the Trail Blazers are 11-24, while going 8-23 on the road.

Portland has an overall ATS record of 31-34 for the season so far. The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in two straight games as the favorite and are 30-29 vs. the spread as the underdog.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

The Pelicans took down the Clippers in their most recent game with a final score of 112-104. In addition to their straight-up win, the Pelicans also covered the spread as -7-point favorites. Regarding the over/under, the combined score of 216 points ended up below the over/under line of 218.5.

On the road this season, the Pelicans are 21-13 compared to their home record of 19-13. Overall, the Pelicans are 40-26 and are 2-1 in their last three games.

Against the spread, New Orleans are currently above .500, at 36-29 ATS. The Pelicans maintain an ATS record of 18-15 on the road, while they have a 18-14 record vs. the spread when playing at home.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

The Trail Blazers come into today’s game as the 28th ranked scoring offense at 107.7 points per game.

So far this season, the Blazers have been one of the worst offenses in the NBA, ranking 28th in scoring at 107.7 points per game. In terms of their three-point shooting, they have made 11.7 threes per game, which is 25th in the league. Overall, they are 29th in field goal percentage at 44%.

When looking at their scoring on the road, Portland is averaging 106.7 points per game. In terms of pace, they are 19th in the league at 97.7 possessions per game. As a team, they have struggled to get to the free-throw line, ranking 17th in both attempts and makes.

Despite being one of the worst offenses in the league, the Blazers have been one of the best offensive rebounding teams, ranking 4th in the NBA. In terms of assists, they are last in the league at just 22.9 per game.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Through 66 games the Pelicans are averaging 116 points per contest, placing them 13th in the NBA.

At home, the Pelicans are averaging 116.3 points per game, which is 15th in the league. Overall, they are 13th in scoring at 116 points per game. In terms of pace, New Orleans is 17th in the NBA at 97.8 possessions per game.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Pelicans are one of the most accurate teams in the league, hitting 38% of their attempts from beyond the arc. However, they are just 23rd in three-point attempts per game.

So far this season, New Orleans has outscored the NBA scoring average in 54.5% of their games. In terms of assists, they are 11th in the league at 27 per game.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

At present, the Trail Blazers’ defense is ranked 17th, allowing 115.7 points per game. Portland’s defense is currently forcing 14.3 turnovers per game, which is 26th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 25th in blocked shots, with an average of 4.5 rejections per game.

Pelicans Team Defense

At present, the Pelicans’ defense is ranked 8th, allowing 111.1 points per game. Most recently, the Pelicans’ defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 104 points to the Clippers.

Key Players For The Trail Blazers And Pelicans

Our game forecasts for today suggest that Anfernee Simons is set to be the main scorer for the Trail Blazers, recording 22 points and shooting 8/18 from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 23 points per game, along with 3.7 rebounds.

As for New Orleans, Zion Williamson is projected to be the primary scorer for the Pelicans. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 22, and adding 6 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 58% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 22.5 points per game.

Trail Blazers vs Pelicans Trends

• Across their last three road contests, Portland has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-0. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 114 points per game.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, New Orleans has an ATS record of 3-1-1 while averaging 117 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the Trail Blazers have an ATS mark of just 2-2-1 in their last five games. Portland posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 7-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-3-1.

Trail Blazers vs Pelicans Prediction

For a pick on the point-spread in this Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers matchup, our bet is to grab the Trail Blazers at +13.5. Even though our projections have the Pelicans winning 112-105, we see the Trail Blazers as the play on the point-spread.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 212.5 and our model has the Trail Blazers and Pelicans finishing with a combined 217 points. Our pick is to take the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.