Free NBA Picks and Odds: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Portland Trail Blazers Expert Predictions – NBA Betting Preview 4/1/11: A pair of Western Conference playoff teams will go head-to-head in this Friday night matchup when the streaking Thunder head to Portland. OKC has the better record of the two teams, but going on the road in the NBA can often be the great equalizer. However, the Thunder are coming off the best month in franchise history (14-2), and with the oddsmakers giving them 2 ½ points as road underdogs, bettors are looking at a golden opportunity to make some money.
The Thunder are riding a five-game winning streak entering tonight’s contest and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers are a rather pedestrian 6-4 in their last 10. More importantly, OKC is a perfect 3-0 against the Blazers in 2011, including a victory in Portland earlier this season. The Thunder have 22 total road wins this year, tying them for the sixth-most in the NBA.
If bettors aren’t already sold on Kevin Durant and company, consider that Kendrick Perkins wasn’t even on the roster when they won in Portland back in November. The Thunder needed overtime to pick up a 107-106 win in that matchup, but with Perkins manning the middle, OKC is giving up 10.5 fewer points per game. The frontcourt of Perkins and Serge Ibaka has been making life tough for opposing big men, and if LaMarcus Aldridge struggles, the Trail Blazers won’t win.
The Blazers have made an addition of their own in small forward Gerald Wallace, and his length and speed could make for a long night for Durant. However, Portland still doesn’t have an answer for Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, who torched the Blazers for 28 points and 11 assists in the November win. Brandon Roy is more or less playing on one leg, and Andre Miller simply can’t check an athletic young guard like Westbrook. It is a matchup nightmare for Portland.
The two teams met in Oklahoma City less than a week ago with the Thunder winning by nine. OKC clinched the Northwest division with the victory, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything left to play for. Their recent hot streak has them within 2 ½ games of the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. If anything, it is the dinged up Blazers that need to rest their players as the playoffs approach.
The bottom line is that the Thunder are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, they are 3-0 against Portland this year, and they are getting 2 ½ points. This is a no-brainer pick for bettors. Take the Thunder with the points or even straight up for the win. Either way, backing OKC should lead to a nice payday.
FREE PICK: Oklahoma City Thunder +3
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GAME: Oklahoma City (50-24) at Portland (43-32)
TIME: 10:00 PM EST
TV: LOCAL
NBA Vegas Odds and Lines: Favorite: Portland -3 Total: Over/Under 190.5
* Lines from the Ceasars Palace Sportsbook in Las Vegas
