The Portland Trail Blazers (47-29) take on the Memphis Grizzlies (21-55) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 1, 2018, and will air on Fox Sports – Southeast.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 206.5 points with Portland opening as a 14.5-point favorite.
Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers ATS Prediction
The last time the Grizzlies played, they were defeated by the Utah Jazz, 107-97. One of Utah’s largest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They made 26 trips to the line, while Memphis went 15 times. Marc Gasol was the top scorer from either team with 28 points on 11-for-12 shooting.
The Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in their last outing, 105-96. Portland’s offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over Los Angeles. The Trail Blazers had a rate of 27.1 (above their season average of 23.3), while the Clippers posted a mark of 22.9. Jusuf Nurkic led Portland in scoring with 21 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
Looking at effective field goal percentage, Portland figures to have a noteworthy edge. The Trail Blazers defense ranks fourth in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.503), while the Memphis offense is ranked 28th in effective field goal percentage (0.498).
Memphis heads into the contest with records of 21-55 straight up (SU) and 32-41-3 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the O/U total of Grizzlies games, with 41 unders compared to 34 overs.
Meanwhile, Portland is 47-29 SU and 42-27-7 ATS. Trail Blazers games tend to go under the total (56.6 percent).
Nurkic has averaged 16.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 steals over the last five games for Portland.
The Grizzlies have won two out of three against the Trail Blazers this season, including a 108-103 victory the last time these teams met. Memphis covered as a 5.5-point underdog and the game finished with a total of 211 points, which was 10.5 points above the projected point total of 200.5 points. The Grizzlies’ 26.8 offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over the Trail Blazers, who had a rate of 18.6. CJ McCollum was the game’s top overall scorer with 42 points.
Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers Free Pick
NBA Prediction: SU Winner – Trail Blazers, ATS Winner – Grizzlies, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Memphis is 16-19-2 ATS on the road with 20 overs, 16 unders and 1 push.
At home, Portland is 21-14-4 ATS with 21 unders and 18 overs.
When holding opponents below 100 points, Portland is 24-5 and Memphis is 13-11.
When reaching 100 points, the Grizzlies are 16-22 and the Trail Blazers are 42-16.
Portland ranks fourth in rebounds per game (45.4) while Memphis ranks 29th (40.6).
The Grizzlies rank 11th in points off turnovers per game (16.8) while the Trail Blazers rank last (14.0).
Memphis ranks 11th in fast break points per game (13.0) while Portland ranks last (8.0).
The Trail Blazers rank sixth in blocks per game (5.3) while the Grizzlies rank 23rd in blocks allowed per game (5.2).
Memphis ranks 22nd in steals per game (7.4) while Portland ranks 27th (6.9).
The Trail Blazers rank fifth in three pointers allowed per game (26.4) while the Grizzlies rank 10th (28.5).
Memphis is 25th in the league with 21.4 assists per game while Portland is 29th with 19.5 assists per game.
The Grizzlies rank third in points allowed in the paint per game (41.8) while the Trail Blazers rank sixth (42.2).
Portland averages 13.5 second chance points per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. Memphis ranks eighth in second chance points allowed per game (11.5).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Memphis is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Portland is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Grizzlies’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 13.0, up from 5.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Trail Blazers have scored an average of 104.6 points per game (1.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 103.4 points per game (0.2 above their season average).
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