The Warriors haven’t pulled away from the pack yet, but everyone still expects them to win the Western Conference. Their top competition in the West? That’s harder to figure out. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers both believe they have enough talent to make a deep postseason run. Home court advantage in the playoffs could be a big deal so those teams will face off this week with plenty of potential repercussions hanging in the balance.
The Thunder has the slightly superior record but Portland is at home, which is expected to make it the slight favorite in this matchup. Make no mistake, though, the spread should be small as each side has the ability to claim this victory in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers will be held at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon at 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, January 4th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
NBA Betting at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Oklahoma City has a record of 23-13 on the season, which is within a game of the Nuggets and Warriors for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Thunder has won 10 of its 19 games on the road this season, which is solid since it is not easy to win away from home.
The Blazers are not too far behind OKC in the standings with an overall mark of 22-16. Portland has done a nice job at home with 14 victories in 20 attempts.
Both of these teams like to play at a quick pace so the scoring total could be high in NBA betting.
Matchup To Watch
Damian Lillard vs. Russell Westbrook -- These teams have very similar talent levels, and the outcome may come down to which star point guard plays the best. Westbrook is having another dynamic season as he is again averaging a triple-double.
Westbrook is putting up 21.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. He is shooting 42.6 percent from the field and only 24 percent from three-point range, so the Blazers would love to force him to remain out on the perimeter, although that is easier said than done.
Lillard is averaging 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He is shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three-point range. Lillard and Westbrook are both volume shooters, so the one that is more efficient will give his team a huge leg up.
Injury Report
6.5. That’s the Thunder’s positive average point-differential on the season, which is tied for the second best in the NBA. Even though a lot of the teams are bunched closely together in the West, point differential is often a good indicator of future success, which should give Oklahoma City confidence moving forward.
Portland, meanwhile, has a positive point-differential of only 0.9 points per game on average. It is something to consider when choosing a winner in this matchup.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Thunder is the better team but the location of the game takes away that advantage. This looks like a virtual coin flip type of game. The Blazers will likely be the small favorites, so it is a smart idea to take the points and choose the Thunder to cover as underdogs.
Oklahoma City should also be under consideration to pull off the upset on the moneyline. The scoring total could be pretty high but the “over” still seems like a good choice as this one should be an entertaining back and forth affair in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder 119, Portland Trail Blazers 118
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
