Portland Trail Blazers at Oklahoma City Thunder Free Prediction 01/18/20

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The Portland Trail Blazers (18-25), 4-point underdogs, will be at Chesapeake Energy Arena to go head-to-head with the Oklahoma City Thunder (23-19) in a Northwest Division matchup. Action begins at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 18, 2020, and can be seen on Fox SportsNet Oklahoma.

Portland Trail Blazers at Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Odds

Both teams were beaten in their last contest. The Thunder (1-point favorites) were defeated by the Miami Heat, 115-108, while the Trail Blazers (8.5-point underdogs) fell to the Dallas Mavericks, 120-112. The Oklahoma City game finished 10 points over the projected point total of 213, while the Portland game went 5.5 points under the projected point total of 237.5.

Portland had an effective field goal percentage of 0.571 (above their season average of 0.515) while Oklahoma City had a better turnover percentage (9.8 vs. 10.4). Oklahoma City rallied around Danilo Gallinari, who had 27 points and six rebounds. Hassan Whiteside, meanwhile played a key role for Portland with 21 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks.

In the season series between these two teams, the Trail Blazers lead two games to one. In their most recent game, the two teams combined for 204 points, well under the projected point total of 222.5. Portland lost 108-96, covering as a 4-point favorite. Oklahoma City did a fantastic job of getting to and converting from the charity stripe (27-34; 79.4 percent). Portland, on the other hand, had a better turnover percentage (6.9 vs. 9.1). In the loss, Whiteside had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Of the Trail Blazers’ 42 games with betting action, 22 have finished under the total. Portland heads into the contest with records of 18-25 straight up (SU) and 16-24-2 against the spread (ATS).

Of the Thunder’s 41 games that accepted bets, 23 have finished under the projected point total. Further, Oklahoma City owns records of 23-19 SU and 26-14-1 ATS.

The aggressive Oklahoma City offense might be living from the foul line in this showdown. The Thunder rank third in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.227, while Portland is among the league’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 19th-ranked FTA rate of 0.208). The Trail Blazers should have an advantage in terms of ball security. They rank 3rd at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 12.2 percent). Conversely, the Thunder force the ninth-fewest turnovers in the NBA (opponents’ turnover percentage of 13.3 percent).

Portland Trail Blazers at Oklahoma City Thunder ATS Pick

NBA Pick: SU Winner – Thunder, ATS Winner – Thunder, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • The Thunder rank 21st in points in the paint per game (45.9) while the Trail Blazers rank 28th (43.4).
  • Oklahoma City ranks sixth in second chance points allowed per game (12.1) while Portland ranks 29th (15.8).
  • The Trail Blazers rank 14th in fast break points per game (12.8) while the Thunder rank 29th (9.5).
  • Oklahoma City ranks fourth in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while Portland ranks 18th (5.2).
  • Oklahoma City ranks 18th in points off turnovers per game (16.5) while Portland ranks 28th (14.1).
  • The Thunder rank 10th in rebounds allowed per game (44.7) while the Trail Blazers rank 28th (48.2).
  • The Thunder rank 20th in steals per game (7.5) while the Trail Blazers rank last (5.9).
  • Oklahoma City ranks fifth in assists allowed per game (22.8) while Portland ranks 11th (23.5).
  • Oklahoma City ranks fifth in three pointers allowed per game (31.6) while Portland ranks 22nd (35.1).
  • Oklahoma City is 7-3 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Portland is 4-0.
  • In games where they score above 100 points, the Thunder are 22-12 and the Trail Blazers are 18-19.
  • Portland is 10-12-1 ATS on the road, while Oklahoma City is 11-9-1 ATS at home.
  • The total has gone under in 14 of the Trail Blazers’ 23 road games, while 11 of the Thunder’s 21 home games have gone under.

Bettings Trends:

  • The Thunder are 3-2 ATS over their last five games, while the Trail Blazers are 2-3.
  • In their last five games, Oklahoma City has 3 overs and 2 unders, while Portland has 4 unders and 1 over.
  • The Thunder’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.6, down from 1.4 for the season.
  • During their last five games, the Trail Blazers have scored an average of 109.4 points per game (2.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 115.4 points per game (1.6 above their season average).