The Portland Trail Blazers (9-25) travel to face off against the Brooklyn Nets (16-20) on Sunday, January 7th. This game will be played at Barclays Center. The Nets 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 Thunder. Tip-off is set for 3:00 ET.

Trail Blazers vs Nets

The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Trail Blazers is coming off a loss to the Mavericks in their latest game, ending with a score of 139-103. The Trail Blazers picked up the win despite trailing going into halftime 62-53.

Heading into their matchup with the Nets, the Trail Blazers are 9-25 overall and are hoping to end their three game skid. In road games this season, the Trail Blazers have gone 4-14, compared to their 5-11 record at home.

So far, Portland’s ATS record is below .500 at 15-19. In their last three games as underdogs, the Trail Blazers have faced ATS losses, and they have a 1-3 record against the spread as favorites.

The Nets Are Coming Off A Win

In their most recent game, the Nets took down the Thunder by a score of 124-115. The Nets faced the Thunder as +5.5 underdogs, achieving both a straight-up and ATS win in the game. Before the game, the over/under line was 234.5 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Coming into today’s matchup vs. the Trail Blazers, the Nets are 16-20 overall. Over their last three games, they are 1-2. In the Eastern Conference, the Nets are 9th and are 4th in the Atlantic Division.

In terms of the spread, Brooklyn currently holds an ATS record of 19-16, which is above .500. The Nets have failed to cover the spread in two straight games as the favorite and are 10-12 vs. the spread as the underdog.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

In 34 games games, Portland has an average of 108.2 points per game (29th). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Trail Blazers are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.9 per contest. If the Trail Blazers offense is going to turn things around, they will need to either generate more possessions or improve their overall efficiency. Currently, they are just 19th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Nets Offense Breakdown

The Nets come into today’s game as the 17th ranked scoring offense at 114.6 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Nets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.8 per contest. Their slower style of play has created fewer offensive opportunities, leading to them being ranked 15th in fields goals made per contest.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

At this time, the Trail Blazers’ defense is positioned 18th in the NBA, permitting 116.0 points per game. Inside the arc, the Trail Blazers defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 59.0% and 33.5% from three-point territory.

Nets Team Defense

The Nets’ defense is presently ranked 19th in the league, allowing an average of 116.1 points per contest. Brooklyn’s defense is currently forcing 11.9 turnovers per game, which is 6th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 13th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.5 rejections per game.

Key Players For The Trail Blazers And Nets

For today’s matchup, we project Anfernee Simons to lead the scoring for the Trail Blazers, putting up 21 points and shooting at a rate of 8/16. Throughout this season, his average stands at 24.5 points per game, along with 3.4 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Mikal Bridges as the leading scorer for the Nets. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 18 while also collecting 5 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 44.8%, and he is contributing 20.6 points per game on average.

Trail Blazers vs Nets Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Trail Blazers have a straight up record of 0-5 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 104 points per game in these contests.
• Across their ten previous home games, Brooklyn has an ATS mark of 1-9. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-8 while averaging 107 points per game.
• The last five games that Portland was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-4 while going 1-4 straight up.
• Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Nets have an overall record of 2-1 while going 1-2 against the spread.

Trail Blazers vs Nets Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Nets to win, and have the projected score sitting at 109-100. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Nets at -8.5.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 225 and our model has the Trail Blazers and Nets finishing with a combined 209 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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

* 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.