The Portland Trail Blazers (37-36) will be at home when they face off against the Philadelphia 76ers (9-63). The game begins at 10:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 26 and will air on TCN and CNW.
The Trail Blazers lost a winnable game to the Clippers 96-94 on Thursday. Ed Davis had a solid performance, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two steals for Portland. The 76ers, meanwhile, are coming off a bitter 104-103 loss at the hands of the Nuggets on Wednesday. T.J. McConnell had a good shooting night, leading the team with 17 points.
The Trail Blazers could dominate the offensive glass in this matchup, as they’re ranked fifth in the league in offensive rebound percentage at 25.8%. Alternatively, Philadelphia ranks 28th in the NBA on the defensive backboards with a defensive rebound percentage of 73.9%.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first matchup 114-89. Jahlil Okafor played a huge role in the victory by recording a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
The Trail Blazers have gone 37-36 Straight Up (SU) and 41-32 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 37-36 SU and 41-32 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. The Trail Blazers have one of the most prolific home offenses in the entire league, averaging 107.6 points per game. Portland is excellent from the perimeter, shooting a superb .365 from three-point range. The rebounding edge goes to the Trail Blazers in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the league with an average of 45.6 boards per game.
On the other side, the 76ers have a record of 32-39-1 ATS and 9-63 SU. Philadelphia has records of 9-63 SU and 32-39-1 ATS against the West. During the last 10 games, they averaged 109.6 PPG, above their 96.9 PPG season average. Shifting to the other side of the court, they average 6.2 blocks per game, good for second in the league.
Philadelphia won the last meeting this season between these two teams, but the win was not enough to overtake Portland in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. The 76ers hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Por
Notes
On average, Philadelphia scores 96.9 points per game (ranked 30th), while Portland allows 104.0 points per game (ranked 19th).
Philadelphia ranks 29th in points per away game with 96.2 points, while Portland ranks 19th in points allowed at home with 102.2.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Portland Trail Blazers are a stellar 19-5. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Philadelphia 76ers have a subpar record of 2-41.
Both Portland and Philadelphia have losing records when they allow and score at least 100 points, respectively. The Trail Blazers are 18-31 in the former situation, and the 76ers are 7-22 in the latter.
The 76ers have a defensive rating of 107.3 (ranked 26th). The Trail Blazers rank seventh for their offensive rating of 106.2.
Portland averages fewer possessions per game than Philadelphia, with 98.3 compared to 100.0. However, the Trail Blazers score an average of 1.062 points per possession, more than the .969 that the 76ers score.
The Portland Trail Blazers have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the league with an EFF% of 50.9%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Philadelphia 76ers have an underachieving 2-32 record.
On average, the Portland Trail Blazers make 21.1 assists per game and the Philadelphia 76ers make 21.1. Portland is ranked 20th, while Philadelphia is ranked 21st.
Portland makes an average of 4.4 blocks per game (ranked 21st). Philadelphia ranks higher in blocks with 6.2 (ranked second).
Portland ranks third in offensive rebounding, placing the team near the top of the pack. Philadelphia, however, ranks 26th in defensive rebounds.
The Philadelphia 76ers earn an average of 8.4 steals per game and are ranked ninth. The Portland Trail Blazers have a 15-18 record when they allow at least 8 steals.
