Free NBA Pick: Thunder vs. Blazers NBA Odds
Looking for Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers free NBA picks & NBA Playoff odds? NBA betting sees the Thunder taking on the Blazers on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA playoff hoops predictions like this Thunder Trail Blazers matchup.
2019 NBA Playoffs – Round 1
(1-3) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers (3-1)
Game 5
Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Time: 10:30PM EST
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
NBA Moneyline Odds: off
NBA Betting Odds: Blazers -3.5
NBA Betting Total: 219
Live NBA Odds
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The Trail Blazers have been the far better, far more consistent team in this series. But the Thunder have shown in spurts an ability to steal all momentum very quickly.
In Game 5, the Blazers will need to play one of their best games yet, as OKC is officially in desperation mode and wants more than anything to send this series back to Oklahoma City for a Game 6.
These two tip off at 10:30 p.m. ET in Portland, Oregon.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City has to hit shots. That’s just not a debate at this point, and those shots have to start coming from behind the three-point line.
If it’s not going to be Paul George or Russell Westbrook—the two ideal candidates—Terrance Ferguson or Markief Morris might need to channel their inner floor-spacers and become shooters very quickly.
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Defending Portland’s backcourt has been a problem that no one on the court or on the sidelines has been able to figure out. CJ McCollum has played well enough that he’d be a legitimate No. 1 option on most of this year’s playoff teams, but the real problem for OKC has been Lillard, who has torched them for 28.8 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting from deep on 9 long balls per game.
McCollum is averaging 26.3 points per night in this series while knocking down 51.6 percent of his 7.8 three-point attempts.
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What’s the secret to containing these dynamic guards? OKC has to do what New Orleans did a year ago in their sweep of the Trail Blazers. The Thunder have to get the ball out of the guards’ hands above the three-point line and early in the shot clock.
The catch, of course, is that players like Al-Farouq Aminu have also hurt the Thunder so far this season.
Trapping the guards and rotating very quickly to the wins really is the only blueprint to success at this point.
It’s far easier said than done, but OKC has to make it happen if it wants to keep the series going.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers are in a good spot, but they’re also in a dangerous one.
After all, not all 3-1 series are created equally.
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Where Portland finds itself in a bit of trouble is that despite OKC’s poor shooting, the Blazers are still giving up open looks. Not only does that mean the Thunder can flip the switch with two or three made in a row, but we’ve seen exactly what it looks like (see: Game 3).
The Blazers have to rotate better because if they don’t this is the most dangerous game in the series to lose. Portland, after a hypothetical loss, would surely be dogs entering Game 6 on the road with Paul George and Russell Westbrook reinvigorated. And as good as Lillard and McCollum have been, if this series comes back to Portland in a Game 7 after two straight Blazers losses, I don’t like their chances.
This is the most “must win” 3-1 series lead entering a Game 5 you’re going to see all Round 1.
NBA Betting Trends:
- OKC are 2-6 ATS in the last 8 meetings in Portland.
- Under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings
Free Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers NBA Prediction: Blazers = Gentlemen.
The Blazers have come out very clearly the good guys in this series after watching how they conduct themselves both on the court and in the media, and the Thunder have…well…not done the same.
4* Free NBA Playoff Betting Pick: Blazers ATS
The Blazers are 3.5-point favorites in this one, but quite frankly, I don’t think it’s going to be anywhere near that close.
Russell Westbrook and Paul George will come out trying to will this team to victory, but they just haven’t proven they can be efficient enough to make a difference in a high-volume situation.
The Thunder have vastly disappointed in this series, and that’s not likely to change now.
Portland gets the 4-1 “gentleman’s sweep” in a big win.
NBA Free Game 5 Score Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers 119 – Oklahoma City Thunder 103
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