The Portland Trail Blazers (28-35) travel to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder (51-11) on Friday, March 7th. This game will be played at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City and televised on KATU. The Thunder 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 Trail Blazers. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Trail Blazers vs Thunder

The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Portland dropped to 28-35 on the season after a 128-118 road loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. The Blazers entered the game as +9.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread, losing by 10. The total points for the game were set at 223.5, but the teams combined for 246 points, going over the line by 22.5.

Boston pulled away with an 11-0 run, extending their lead from 54-53 to 65-53. Portland fell behind 102-82 heading into the 4th quarter but outscored Boston 36-26 in the final period.

The Thunder Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Thunder improved to 51-11 this season with a 120-103 win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Oklahoma City, favored by 7 points, covered the spread with the 17-point victory. The total points for the game ended at 223, falling short of the 253-point over/under line.

An 11-0 run helped the Thunder take control, turning a 70-64 deficit into a 75-70 lead. They outscored Memphis 31-27 in the 2nd quarter and 30-23 in the 3rd, entering the 4th quarter up 91-78. Oklahoma City closed out the game by winning the 4th quarter 29-25.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

The Trail Blazers shot 50% from the field and hit 16 threes at a 40% rate in their 128-118 loss to the Celtics. Anfernee Simons led the way with 30 points and 6 assists, while Shaedon Sharpe added 25 points and 6 rebounds. Jabari Walker was a standout, hitting 6 threes without a miss and finishing with 22 points and 6 rebounds, shooting 88.9% from the field.

Simons scored 15 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter, while Sharpe added 12 in the final frame. Walker contributed 14 points in the 3rd quarter. Toumani Camara also had a strong 4th quarter, scoring 7 of his 12 points in the period.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a win over the Grizzlies, scoring 41 points and dishing out 8 assists. He shot 56% from the field, hitting 3 threes at a 60% clip. Jalen Williams added 20 points, while Aaron Wiggins contributed 16, shooting 66.7% and making 3 threes at 75%.

Oklahoma City hit 15 threes as a team, shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc and 50.6% overall. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the 3rd quarter, while Wiggins added 10 of his 16 points in the 4th.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

Portland’s defense struggled against the Celtics, allowing 128 points on 46% shooting. The Blazers gave up 31 points in the 1st quarter, 35 in the 2nd, and 36 in the 3rd, before tightening up in the 4th, where they allowed 26 points.

The Blazers had a tough time defending the three, as Boston hit 23 threes at a 42% clip. Portland sent the Celtics to the line 17 times, where they made 15 free throws. The Blazers grabbed 31 defensive rebounds but allowed 18 offensive boards, while also recording 4 steals and 3 blocks.

Thunder Team Defense

Defensively, the Trail Blazers struggled against the Celtics, giving up 128 points on 46% shooting. Portland allowed 31 points in the 1st quarter, 35 in the 2nd, and 36 in the 3rd, before tightening up in the 4th, where they allowed 26 points.

The Blazers had a tough time defending the three, as Boston hit 23 threes at a 42% clip. Portland also sent the Celtics to the line 17 times, where they made 15 free throws. The Blazers recorded 31 defensive rebounds but allowed 18 offensive boards, while also tallying 4 steals and 3 blocks.

Trail Blazers vs Thunder Trends

• Portland has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 123 points per game while allowing 117. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
• Across their last five home contests, Oklahoma City has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 5-0, while averaging 132 points per game.
• Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Trail Blazers have a straight up record of 0-5. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-4.
• Oklahoma City has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.

Trail Blazers vs Thunder Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +1.5, we recommend going with the Trail Blazers on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 226.5, and our model projects the Trail Blazers and Thunder to reach a combined total of 168 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

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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.