Free NBA Pick: Trail Blazers vs Pelicans NBA Odds
Looking for Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Blazers taking on the Pelicans on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Pelicans Trail Blazers matchup.
(0-2) Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans (2-0)
Western Conference Playoffs – Round 1 Game 3
Date: Thursday, April 19
Time: 10:30PM EST
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
NBA Moneyline Odds: OFF
NBA Betting Odds: New Orleans -3
NBA Betting Total: 216
Live NBA Odds
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The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t looked like a 6 seed so far this postseason. They’ve played a gritty brand of basketball and they’ve gotten plenty of help behind Anthony Davis, particularly from his two guards Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo.
The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t looked like a 3 seed either this postseason. Damian Lillard has struggled as a No. 1 option, and he’s gotten very little help to make up the difference.
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We originally predicted this series would go seven games, and while it, of course, still could, it’s looking more and more like the Blazers might be making a quick exit and the Pelicans might be a much bigger threat to the Golden State Warriors in Round 2 than anyone could have projected.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are doing a number of things right so far this series. They’re making Anthony Davis look like the MVP candidate that he is.
They’re bringing back “Playoff Rondo”, and they’re also getting production from Nikola Mirotic.
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But this has really been the Jrue Holiday series up to this point.
Holiday is not only commanding and controlling the offense, he’s been a gritty defender on an All-NBA-caliber player in Damian Lillard. If you take Lillard out of the Blazers’ equation, you have a lottery team without a doubt.
In Game 3, New Orleans can’t let up on that defensive intensity. If Portland continues to miss shots at the rate it has through two games, the Pelicans should walk away with a comfy 3-0 series lead.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers need more from Lillard. We’ve touched on that, so let’s move on to someone else who needs to step up for Rip City to have a puncher’s chance down 0-2.
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Jusuf Nurkic needs to get angry. He needs to realize that 13 points and three rebounds (while shooting just over 40 percent) isn’t enough for any game let alone a playoff game…let alone a playoff game against Anthony Davis.
Nobody is the league is going to stop Davis, but making him uncomfortable in the post has to be priority No. 1.
Nurkic is a big body with a surprising amount of skill and he needs to use both of those things and push 20 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3.
NBA Betting Trends:
- NO are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games.
- Over is 25-9 in NO last 34 games as a favorite.
- Over is 23-9 in NO last 32 home games.
- Under is 5-2-1 in the last 8 meetings.
Free Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans NBA Prediction:
The Pelicans can put the Blazers in a hole no NBA team has ever dug itself out of with a win on Thursday. A victory would send Portland to 0-3, which has historically been impossible to escape.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: New Orleans ATS
The question here is whether the motivation to go up 3-0 is greater than the motivation to avoid 3-0.
In this case, Portland should come out firing and should make this a contest the whole way through. But in the end, it should be New Orleans realizing they’re on the brink of a big-time upset, and that should be what ultimately wins out.
NBA Free Score Prediction: New Orleans Pelicans 108 – Portland Trail Blazers 101
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