In a crowded Western Conference, the hottest team down the stretch is likely to come away with the No. 3 seed behind the Warriors and the Rockets. Right now, that team is the Portland Trail Blazers. An eight-game winning streak has vaulted Portland past a host of teams jockeying for playoff positioning and into the third spot, where it will look to remain the rest of the way.
The Trail Blazers can pick up another key victory next time out when they host the Miami Heat. Miami is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference but has room to move up with some upset wins down the stretch. This would be a big one but it won’t be easy against a Portland team that has really hit its groove.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Moda Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday, March 12, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Monday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Miami is 34-31 straight up and 32-28-5 against the spread. The Heat is an impressive 22-11-1 against the spread on the road this year. Miami has gone 20-12-2 against the spread as the underdog.
Portland is 39-26 straight up and 35-26-4 against the spread. The Trail Blazers have gone 16-13-3 against the spread at home this season. They are 21-17-3 attempting to cover as the favorite in NBA basketball betting.
Player To Watch
Damian Lillard -- This long winning streak has been sparked by Portland’s star shooting guard. Lillard is averaging 26.8 points, 6.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three-point line.
He’s had the game high in points in five of the games during the eight-game winning streak. Lillard has topped 35 points in three of the past four games. He had 39 points, six assists and five rebounds in a win over the Lakers two games ago and then added 37 points with 8-of-11 on three-point field goals last time out against the Knicks,
If Miami can’t find a way to slow down Lillard, it will have an exceedingly tough time pulling out the win.
Key Stat
102.2. That’s the number of points the Heat allow per game, which is one of the better marks in the NBA. The Blazers like to run when the option is there, and Miami would like to play in more of a halfcourt style.
Hassan Whiteside is one of the better interior defensive players in the NBA. He is averaging 14.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per contest. While he will help keep Portland from consistently driving into the lane, the problem is that Lillard and fellow backcourt mate C.J. McCollum are adept at hitting from the outside.
So Miami will need to make sure its perimeter defense is strong, with the idea of funneling the shooters inside to Whiteside a generally good idea. Miami wants to avoid trying to go toe-to-toe with the Blazers in a shootout because Portland has the better scorers.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Miami is a decent team but does not figure to have a great shot at winning this game on the road. The Blazers are playing really well right now and they should be able to keep up the success in this matchup. Watch for Lillard to have a big game to lead his team to victory in NBA basketball betting lines.
However, if the oddsmakers make the Blazers too big of a favorite, the Heat could be the right call to get the job done in NBA basketball spreads.
NBA Odds: Trail Blazers 103, Heat 99
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