The Portland Trail Blazers will travel to the Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 18 and can be seen on FSN and CNW.
The Pelicans enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Kings 123-108 on Wednesday. Anthony Davis was a key piece, recording his 36th double-double of the season with 27 points and 14 rebounds. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 118-110 loss against the Spurs on Thursday. C.J. McCollum led the game in scoring with 26 points.
The Pelicans could put on a ball-control clinic in this one. They’re ranked fourth in the NBA at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of only 12.8%). Additionally, Portland forces the fifth-fewest turnovers in the league (12.7%). Moreover, the Trail Blazers are among the NBA’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking fifth in offensive rebound percentage at 25.9%. But the Pelicans rank fifth at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebound percentage of 78.7%.
The Trail Blazers lead the season series against the Pelicans two games to one, but lost their most recent matchup, a 115-89 blowout. Tyreke Evans had a stellar game with 24 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and two three-pointers.
The Pelicans come into this game 25-42 Straight Up (SU) and 28-39 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 25-42 SU and 28-39 ATS against the Western Conference. New Orleans will look to take advantage of the Trail Blazers and their propensity to foul. Portland ranks 26th in the league in fouls, averaging 22.2 per game.
As for their opponent, the Trail Blazers have 35-34 SU and 39-30 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Portland is 35-34 SU and 39-30 ATS. The Trail Blazers rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking third in the league with 722 made (10.0 per game). The Trail Blazers have controlled the glass with an average of 45.6 rebounds per game, fifth in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, New Orleans beat Portland, but the win was not enough to overtake Portland in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 2-8 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Trail Blazers hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Por
Notes
“New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans’s last 7 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 14 of New Orleans’s last 16 games at home”.
“New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland”.
“New Orleans is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Portland”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans’s last 7 games when playing Portland”.
“New Orleans is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Portland”.
“New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Portland”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland’s last 7 games when playing New Orleans”.
“Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Orleans”.
Both Portland and New Orleans rank zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Portland puts up 0.0 points per game, while New Orleans allows 0.0.
Portland and New Orleans are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Portland scores an average of 0.0 points on the road, while New Orleans gives up 0.0 points at home on average.
Portland has a 19-4 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. New Orleans has yet to win a game in which it scores under 100 (0-30).
The Portland Trail Blazers have a poor 16-30 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The New Orleans Pelicans are 25-12 when they hit the century mark.
The Pelicans have a defensive rating of 107.3 (ranked 26th), while the Trail Blazers rank seventh for their offensive rating of 106.2.
New Orleans has an average field goal percentage of 44.6%. Portland is a subpar 11-24 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
New Orleans averages 24.0 three point attempts per game, and Portland attempts 28.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Pelicans have a poor 11-20 record while the Trail Blazers have a 27-24 record.
New Orleans has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.72 this season (ranked 10th), while Portland ranks lower at 21st with an A/TO of 1.51.
With 45.6 per game, Portland ranks near the top of the NBA for rebounds at fifth. New Orleans ranks 22nd with 42.7.
New Orleans is ranked 19th in defensive rebounds, while Portland ranks fourth in offensive rebounds.
Portland has forced an average turnover percentage of 12.7% this season. New Orleans has a losing 10-21 record when its TOV% is 12.7% or higher.
