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Rockets vs. Trail Blazers NBA Playoff Series Gambling Prediction & Lines

Houston vs Portland Odds

If you’re looking for an entertaining NBA playoff series, look no further than the Western Conference quarterfinals matchup between the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets and the fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.[ad-4468020]

Odds to win the 2014 NBA championship

  • Houston: 25 to 1
  • Portland: 45 to 1

Odds to win the Western Conference

  • Houston: 12 to 1
  • Portland: 20 to 1

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When this series tips off, it’s going to be a battle of offense versus offense. The Rockets and Blazers are the second- and fourth-highest scoring teams in the NBA, respectively, and both are deadly from beyond the three-point line.

The Blazers shot the seventh-best percentage from downtown this season, while the Rockets took and made more threes than any other team leaguewide.

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There are two big differences on offense to look out for. For Houston, it’s attacking the rim. Between Dwight Howard’s dominance down low and James Harden’s relentless isolation attack, the Rockets are second in terms of points per game in the paint.

That bodes well for them considering the Blazers are 27th in points per game allowed in the paint. For Portland, the differentiator is their mid-range game, and that starts and ends with LaMarcus Aldridge. The three-time All-Star will take the pressure off of the guards by utilizing his jumper all series long.

If you’re looking for X-factors in this series, look at the small forward position. Chandler Parsons is the kind of guy who will have a game or two where he gets hot, knocking down enough three-pointers to win on his own.
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Portland, on the other hand, has a Swiss Army knife of a weapon in Nicolas Batum. He epitomizes the do-it-all swingmen, but his aggressiveness scoring the ball will be what makes him a valuable sidekick to Lillard and Aldridge—something he’s failed to recognize in the past.

As important as the small forward position will be, look at the point guard spot for the key matchup. At this point, each team has two superstars to fall back on. That said, if Patrick Beverly can contain Lillard, Portland drops down to one, which would doom it in a seven-game series. The two already have a history, as they’ve exchanged words both on and off the court.

Beverley only averages 10.2 points per game, but his defense is going to be a recurring theme against one of the top scoring guards in the game.

Aside from Beverley, the Rockets haven’t been a good defensive team this year on the perimeter—a huge problem against Portland.

The good news is that the Blazers have been even worse in terms of defensive efficiency. Expect this one to come down to how well Beverley defends Lillard and how efficient the Blazers can be in their three-point attack.

NBA Series Prediction

For the Blazers, this series is about a return to prominence. The team hasn’t been to the postseason in three years, but going back further, it hasn’t seen the second round since 2000—the longest drought in the NBA. For Houston, it hasn’t seen the second round since 2009 when it beat Portland in Round 1.

Home-court advantage is going to be huge in this one. The Rockets defeated the Blazers 3-1 in the regular season series, and having home-court advantage could very well be the deciding factor.

Neither team has a ton of playoff experience, but the leadership of Harden and Howard is invaluable to Houston.

Rip City is ready to fight, but Clutch City is ready to contend. This one should be entertaining with Houston stealing the series in six games.

By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"