New Orleans (1-0) at Portland (0-1)
When: Tuesday, April 17th 2018
Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR
Time: 10:35 ET | TV: TNT
Opening Odds: Portland -6/213.5
The Portland Trail Blazers were one of the best home teams in the league this year and won 21 of their last 24 regular season affairs at Moda Center, but the team went cold from the floor and dropped Game 1 of their Western Conference first round series with the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, and will need a much better effort to avoid going into a big hole. Pelicans’ star Anthony Davis, who had never tasted victory in the postseason, recorded 35 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots as the Pelicans stunned Portland 97-95 in Game 1. The Blazers shooting was awful on Sunday, shooting just 37.8% from the field as well as struggling to just 36 points in the first half, as star guards CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard struggled.
Davis has a 32.2 scoring average in five career playoff games and scored more than 25 in each game. Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo was solid on both ends of the floor, matching the franchise record for assists in a playoff game (17 by Chris Paul in 2008) as well as helping force Lillard into 6-of-23 shooting. Rondo has averages of 14.3 points, 9.2 assists and 1.9 steals in 97 career playoff games. Forward Nikola Mirotic also contributed in the victory, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds in Game 1 for his first career postseason double-double.
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Lillard and McCollum combined for 37 points – well below their average – and shot just 13-of-41 from the floor in Game 1. Center Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds but he was just 3-of-7 shooting in addition to having trouble defending Davis. Power forward Ed Davis, who averages 7.4 rebounds a game, collected 13 of them in just 20 minutes in Game 1.
McCollum and Lillard played one of their worst games of the season, and they still almost won. Portland will not have an answer for Anthony Davis, but as long as the Blazer guards play like they should, they’ll win this Game 2 and tie the series up.
Pick: Blazers -6.5
- Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
- Pelicans are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
- Pelicans are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
- Pelicans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Pelicans are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games following a ATS win.
- Pelicans are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games following a straight up win.
- Pelicans are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Pelicans are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Northwest.
- Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Tuesday games.
- Trail Blazers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a ATS loss.
- Trail Blazers are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Trail Blazers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Trail Blazers are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 home games.
- Trail Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Trail Blazers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
- Trail Blazers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.
- Trail Blazers are 7-21-2 ATS in their last 30 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Trail Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Southwest.
- Over is 7-1 in Pelicans last 8 Tuesday games.
- Under is 5-1 in Pelicans last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 4-1 in Pelicans last 5 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Under is 4-1 in Pelicans last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 4-1-1 in Pelicans last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Under is 8-2-1 in Pelicans last 11 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 6-2 in Pelicans last 8 road games.
- Under is 5-0 in Trail Blazers last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 games following a straight up loss.
- Under is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 games following a ATS loss.
- Under is 4-1 in Trail Blazers last 5 overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Trail Blazers last 5 vs. Western Conference.
- Over is 8-3 in Trail Blazers last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Over is 5-2 in Trail Blazers last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Over is 5-2 in Trail Blazers last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Over is 9-4 in Trail Blazers last 13 vs. NBA Southwest.
- Under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings in Portland.
- Pelicans are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
- Favorite is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
- Under is 11-5-1 in the last 17 meetings.
