The Western Conference playoff race is extremely tight for seeds No. 3 through 9, and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers are smack dab in the middle of it all. They will face off this week in a critical showdown.
The Timberwolves have a slightly better record this season but the Trail Blazers aren’t far behind and have the home court advantage. This seems like a golden opportunity for Portland to gain a game on the T-Wolves and make the jumble that much more chaotic.
The Trail Blazers could really use the victory because they aren’t too far from falling outside of the top eight seeds completely. Every game is huge for these teams down the stretch, but especially ones where there are head-to-head implications.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Moda Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 1, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
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Odds Analysis
The Timberwolves are 38-26 straight up and 30-32-2 against the spread. Minnesota has gone 14-17-1 against the spread as the underdog this season. It has covered in 10 of 21 attempts as the underdog.
The Trail Blazers are 34-26 straight up and 30-26-4 against the spread. Portland has gone 12-13-3 against the spread at home this year. The Blazers are 16-17-3 against the spread as the favorite this season.
Key Stat
2. That’s the number of losses that separates seven different teams in the West. The San Antonio Spurs have 25 losses on the season, the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans have 26, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers all have 27.
While the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are going to finish as the top two seeds, there is a ton to be determined in the rest of the West, from home court advantage in the first round to matchups and which team gets left out.
Portland and Minnesota could see their fortunes switch because of just one or two losses the rest of the way, so look for everyone in this grouping to be dialed in down the stretch.
Player To Watch
Damian Lillard — The Blazers guard has put together another fantastic season as he is now trending toward being one of the best players in the entire NBA. Portland lost star forward LaMarcus Aldridge a few seasons back but Lillard’s ability to become a star has kept the team competitive.
He is averaging 26.3 points, 6.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, showing the ability to create good shots for himself as well as getting others involved. Lillard is hitting 44.7 percent of his field goal attempts and 36.6 percent of his shots from three-point range.
He had 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to help carry his team to a win over the Suns when the rest of the squad looked lackluster. Lillard is so talented he has the ability to do that.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Timberwolves have a solid nucleus led by Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. This looks like a team on the rise and the T-Wolves are currently slightly ahead of the Spurs for the No. 3 seed in the West.
However, the Blazers are nearly as good and have the benefit of the home court. Take the Blazers to win this game and pull close to Minnesota in the standings. The T-Wolves, though, are the choice to cover in a game that could come down to the very final seconds. The “over” should be in consideration since both of these teams figure to push the pace and knock down shots regularly.
NBA Odds: Trail Blazers 115, Timberwolves 114
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