The Golden State Warriors are the class of the Western Conference and the San Antonio Spurs aren’t far behind. After that? There’s some murkiness. The Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers both hope to slot in right behind those powers, and will look to get off to a good start when they face off early in the season.
The Clippers return a core which consistently been among the better teams in the NBA the past few seasons but has failed to get over the postseason hump. Time might be running out for this group of it can’t make some major progress. The Trail Blazers have a star backcourt and is hoping to find the right players to complement Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
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Odds Analysis
The Clippers have higher expectations this season as they are projected to win 53 games on the season. They went 53-29 last season and have been perennial playoff contenders for several years.
The Portland Trail Blazers were expected to take a big step back last season after the loss of LaMarcus Aldridge but played well behind the backcourt. Portland is projected to win 44.5 games this season, but has the home court advantage, so the spread could be tight in this one.
Matchup to Watch
Lillard against Chris Paul. Two of the league’s best point guards face off in this matchup Thursday as the Portland star takes on Paul, who has helped lift the Clippers to their current status.
Lillard led the Trail Blazers in scoring last year, averaging 25.1 points a game in his fourth year in the league. He also had a team-high 6.8 assists and can really torch defenses when he gets hot.
Veteran Chris Paul is entering his twelfth season in the league and his sixth as a Clipper. He averaged 19.1 points a game and 10.2 assists, the fourth best in the NBA. He is a master facilitator, setting up players like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan for easy buckets near the hoop.
Paul is also an asset on defense and was among the league’s best in steals, averaging 2.05 a game. The point guard which gets the edge in this matchup will greatly help his team.
Key Stat
104.3. That’s the number of points allowed by the Trail Blazers a season ago. If the team wants to take another step forward and find it in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture, the defense needs to improve.
The group had a lot of new pieces a year ago and if some chemistry and communication has grown since then, it could help the overall product. Lillard and McCollum will put up points, but Portland needs to stop people.
This will be a good test early in the season as Paul really makes an offense hum when he gets moving in transition.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Even though this game is early in the season, the Blazers would be well-served to pick up a victory. A home game against an expected playoff participant is a big game, and the crowd should be giving plenty of support.
The Clippers want to prove they can compete with the best teams in the NBA, and they need to get as many toss-up games early on to put them in a good position.
The Trail Blazers are a good team, but the Clippers may come in to this season feeling like it’s time to make a big move. They can kick it off with a hard-fought road win which will set a good tone.
Take the Clippers in a close one, as this one likely won’t be decided until the final two minutes.
NBA Odds: Los Angeles Clippers 107, Portland Trail Blazers 102
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