The league’s top team will be at home when the Golden State Warriors (63-15) welcome the Portland Trail Blazers (50-27) to ORACLE Arena. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Thursday, Apr. 9 and can be seen on TNT.
The Warriors are are hoping for a better outcome after their 103-100 loss to the Pelicans on Tuesday. Stephen Curry was the team’s leading scorer with 25 points. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 106-96 loss against the Nets on Monday. Damian Lillard led the game in scoring with 36 points.
From an effective field goal percentage perspective, this will be a matchup of two heavyweights. Golden State’s sharp-shooting offense is ranked first in the league in that metric at 53.8%, while Portland is third-best in the NBA at making opponents miss (47.6%).
The Warriors have emerged victorious in both games against the Trail Blazers this year, including a 122-108 win the last time these two teams met. Curry finished with 33 points and 10 assists.
The odds for Golden State and Portland are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Warriors have gone 63-15 Straight Up (SU) and 46-31-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Warriors have no trouble scoring as they lead the league in home offense with 112.9 points per home game. Golden State is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.94. The Warriors have really locked down opponents, ranking first in the league with a .426 opponent field-goal percentage. Golden State’s defenders rank fourth in the NBA in steals with 9.3 per game. Golden State is the league’s top scoring team off turnovers with an average of 19.4 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Trail Blazers have 50-27 SU and 39-37-1 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Portland is 30-17 SU and 25-21-1 ATS. The Trail Blazers convert their free throws at a high percentage, leading the league at .801. Defensive rebounding is an area where Portland has excelled. The Trail Blazers average 34.4 defensive rebounds per game, best in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, Golden State beat Portland, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over the Trail Blazers in their last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Warriors hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. In these last 10 matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
Portland ranks 10th in points per game with 102.8, while Golden State ranks 14th in points allowed with an average of 99.3 given up.
Portland puts up an average of 101.8 points per away game (ranked eighth). Golden State ranks 10th in points allowed per home game with 97.5.
The Portland Trail Blazers have an exceptional 39-8 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Golden State Warriors are 8-6 when they score less than 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Trail Blazers are just 11-19 this season. Golden State is a superb 55-9 when registering triple digits.
The Warriors have the best defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 98.2. The Trail Blazers’s offense ranks a solid eighth, with an offensive rating of 105.6.
Golden State has an average field goal percentage of 47.6% (ranked first). Portland is a poor 7-11 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Portland Trail Blazers rank lower for their field goal percentage (17th) than their effective field goal percentage (ninth), while the Golden State Warriors rank the same for both metrics (first).
Golden State ranks near the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.94 (ranked second). Portland is ranked 15th, with an A/TO of 1.65.
The Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers are two of the top rebounding teams in the NBA. Golden State is ranked fifth with 44.8 rebounds per game, and Portland ranks second with 46.1.
Golden State ranks among the best in the league in defensive rebounds at third, while Portland ranks a solid 15th in offensive rebounds.
Golden State is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.4% (ranked sixth). Portland has an 11-12 record SU when its TOV% reaches 15.4% or greater.
