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Free NBA Pick: Blazers vs. Thunder NBA Odds
Looking for Portland Trail Blazers vs. OKC Thunder free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Blazers taking on the Thunder on Monday, December 19th, 2021 at the Paycom Center. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Blazers-Thunder matchup.
2022 NBA Handicapping
(17-13) Portland Trail Blazers vs. OKC Thunder (12-8)
Date: Monday, December 19th
Time: 8:00 PM EST
Venue: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
NBA Moneyline Odds: Blazers -148 | Thunder +138 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Blazers -7
NBA Betting Total: 228
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Monday, December 19th, finds the Portland Trail Blazers facing the OKC Thunder for the first of four scheduled matches this season. OKC is hosting this baseball set with the second game on Wednesday the 21st while the Blazers will host games on February 10th and March 26th.
Both teams last played Saturday with the Blazers defeating the Rockets 107-95 while the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 115-109.
Last season, the teams played four times with the Blazers sweeping the regular season series. The Thunder holds the all-time record having bested the Blazers in 127 of their 247 matches.
*Editor’s Note: Statistics and rankings are current as of this writing Sunday evening, December 18. Numbers may vary slightly entering games on Monday, December 19.
Portland Trail Blazers
Although the Blazers took care of business on Saturday they can’t be happy with needing to bring their starters back in the match to ensure the victory.
Anfernee Simons led the scoring effort with 32 points. Damian Lillard (25 points, 10 assists) and Josh Hart (12 points, 13 rebounds) served up double-double performances albeit Lillard did so on a sore ankle after tweaking it early in the match.
Another concern was the bench scoring as the Rockets reserves bested the Blazers 46 to 22.
Portland averages 109.7 points per game ranking 22nd while shooting 46.6% from the field and 37.6% from the perimeter ranking 18th and sixth respectively.
Defensively, the Blazers have witnessed opponents’ scoring average per game jump by almost three points in their last five games from 107.7 to 110.3 dropping them from sixth best to ninth overall.
They sit in the middle of the league for efficiency holding opponents to 47.0% from the field and 35.7% from the perimeter ranking 15th for both categories.
Jusuf Nurkic (calf) and Josh Hart (ankle) are probable while Jerami Grant (back) is questionable. Gary Payton II (conditioning), and Nassir Little (femoral head impaction/fracture) are out Monday.
OKC Thunder
On a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey weren’t able to suit up for the Thunder but the Grizzlies had their star Ja Morant in the lineup it felt like this should be a gimme for the West’s top team.
Instead, a strange exchange between a fan and Morant resulted in his ejection and the undermanned Thunder pulling off the victory. Morant wasn’t letting it go post-game either and the fan essentially confirmed how ridiculous his ejection was.
“I got my first tech for saying I got hit in my (expletive) face. Didn’t curse at him,” Morant said. “Another situation where he’s in my conversation and I get another tech for talking with a fan. I feel like when these fans came here, went online to buy these tickets, they didn’t say Ray (Acosta) name to come watch.”
This is Lisa, a Ja Morant superfan who lives in OKC. She was at the center of the interaction that got Ja Morant ejected.
“I was just telling Ja, ‘let’s go.’
“He was just like he can’t do much because (the refs) missed a call.” pic.twitter.com/KkZqQcIBiR
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) December 18, 2022
The Thunder score 115.3 points per game ranking eighth. OKC ranks 21st shooting 46.2% from the field and ranks 23rd from the perimeter shooting 33.9%.
Defensively, the Thunder rank 27th for opponent points allowed per game with 117.2 scored. Their foes shoot 46.7% from the field which ranks 14th and 36.7% from the perimeter ranking 22nd.
Gilgeous-Alexander (back), Giddey (illness), Darius Bazley (illness), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (ankle), and Ousmane Dieng (wrist) are out. Chet Holmgren (foot) is out for the season. Tre Mann and Jaylin Williams are on G League assignment.
NBA Betting Trends:
- Blazers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games.
- Thunder are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland’s last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City’s last 7 games.
Free Portland Trail Blazers vs. OKC Thunder NBA Prediction:
At season start these baseball sets were typically ending in splits but recent activity has found teams sweeping the set so it’s not a given to suggest each team will win one game anymore.
Injuries are more likely to play the bigger role so I’m leaning Blazers but make sure to check the final injury update because it’s highly unlikely the Thunder win two in a row without SGA and Giddey.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Blazers ATS
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