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

Most recently, the Trail Blazers lost to the Knicks with a final score of 105-93. The Trail Blazers turned the game around and came out on top, despite being in a trailing position at halftime with 55-41.

Looking to improve on their 19-47 record, the Trail Blazers are set to take on the Pelicans as they try to get back to .500. In the Western Conference, they are currently 14th and are 5th in the Northwest division.

Portland’s ATS record is currently below .500 at 31-34 for the season. In their last five road games, Portland has successfully covered the spread, and they hold an ATS record of 17-14 on the road in contrast to 14-20 at home.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

The Pelicans picked up a win over the Clippers in their latest game, finishing with a score of 112-104. At the beginning of the second half, the Pelicans were leading 50-44.

When comparing the Pelicans’ home and road records, they are 19-13 and 21-13, respectively. Overall, they are 40-26 and have gone 6-4 in their last ten games.

In terms of the spread, New Orleans currently holds an ATS record of 36-29, which is above .500. This season, New Orleans has a 21-19 record against the spread when they are favored, and they are 15-10 when playing as underdogs.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

In 66 games games, Portland has an average of 107.7 points per game (28th).

The Trail Blazers are 28th in the NBA in scoring at 107.7 points per game. They are 29th on the road, averaging 106.7 points per game.

Portland is 19th in pace at 97.7 possessions per game. They are 30th in true shooting percentage and 29th in field goal percentage.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Blazers are 25th in three-point percentage at 35%. Overall, they are 20th in three-point attempts 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 NBA. Overall, they are 13th in scoring at 116 points per game. In terms of pace, New Orleans is 17th in the league at 97.8 possessions per game.

When it comes to shooting, the Pelicans are 8th in field goal percentage at 48%. They have been efficient from two-point range, hitting 55% of their attempts (12th). However, they are just 23rd in three-point attempts at 32.4 per game.

So far this season, New Orleans has outscored the NBA scoring average in 54.5% of their games. They are also 11th in assists with an average of 27 per game.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

On defense, the Trail Blazers come into the game ranked 17th in the league in points allowed at 115.7 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 109.3 points per contest (3rd). Opponents are hitting 57.9% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 35.1% of their three-point attempts.

Pelicans Team Defense

On defense, the Pelicans come into the game ranked 8th in the league in points allowed at 111.1 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 107.7 points per contest (9th). 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 projections for today’s game indicate that Anfernee Simons will be the primary scorer for the Trail Blazers, with 22 points and going 8/18 from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 23 points per game, along with 3.7 rebounds.

On the other side, Zion Williamson is our projected leading scorer for the Pelicans. We have him ending the game with a team-high 22 and grabbing 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.
• Through their last ten home games, New Orleans has an ATS record of just 5-4-1. However, their overall record was 8-2 while averaging 112 points per game.
• As the betting underdog, the Trail Blazers have an ATS mark of just 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Portland posted a straight up mark of 4-6 in these matchups.
• The Pelicans have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.

Trail Blazers vs Pelicans Prediction

For a point-spread bet in this Trail Blazers vs. Pelicans matchup, we’re leaning towards the Trail Blazers at +13.5. Although our projections show the Pelicans winning 113-106, we suggest placing your bet on the Trail Blazers for the point-spread.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 212.5 and given that our model is projecting 219 points between the teams, we like 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.