The Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans are set to face off on Friday at 8 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. This matchup is particularly intriguing as both teams currently hold an even season series, tied at 1-1.
The Trail Blazers recently struggled against the Oklahoma City Thunder, suffering a significant loss with a score of 124-95. As a notable 16-point road underdog, they failed to cover the spread. Sidy Cissoko led Portland with a team-high 19 points, but the defeat marked their second loss in six games, leading to a 17-16-1 record against the spread for the season.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are in a tough spot after losing their fifth consecutive game, falling 134-118 to the Chicago Bulls. Zion Williamson continued to shine, scoring 31 points, but the team couldn’t secure a cover as a 2-point underdog. Despite their current streak of losses, New Orleans has recorded a 5-5 record over their last ten games and holds an 18-15-2 record against the spread this season.
As for the odds, BetMGM Sportsbook lists the moneyline for the Trail Blazers at -130, meaning bettors would need to wager $130 to win $100, while the Pelicans sit at +105. In terms of points spread, the Trail Blazers are favored by 1.5 points. The Over/Under for the game is set at 245.5.
Both teams have notable injuries impacting their rosters. The Trail Blazers will be without key players including Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, and Matisse Thybulle due to various injuries. The Pelicans are facing their own injury concerns with Saddiq Bey listed as questionable and Herbert Jones sitting out.
Experts are predicting a close game, with a slight edge given to the Pelicans, who are seen as having the potential to exploit Portland’s recent road struggles. The recommendation is to bet on the Pelicans to win and to take the Under on the points total, as recent scoring trends suggest a lower total than the Over/Under indicates.
As the two teams prepare to clash, fans can look forward to an exciting game that could bring much-needed momentum to either side.