Alex Hunter breaks down his preview, prediction and pick for Monday’s NBA matchup between the Trail Blazers and the Nets.
The Trail Blazers are hosting the Nets on Monday. Portland is favored by 14.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Brooklyn sits as a +625 underdog. The game carries a total of 218.5 points.
Let’s dive into my preview and pick for Monday’s inter-conference matchup.
Trail Blazers vs. Nets preview
Exactly one week ago, the Trail Blazers beat the Nets, 114-95, in Brooklyn. Monday’s rematch will be in Portland, and both squads are playing the second night of a back-to-back. On Sunday, the Blazers saw their three-game winning streak get snapped by the Nuggets in a 128-112 rout in Denver. Meanwhile, the Nets lost their seventh in a row, falling to the Kings, 126-122, in Sacramento.
Portland sits ninth in the Western Conference with a 35-37 record and ranks 20th in net rating this season. The squad is almost a lock for the play-in tournament — only a half-game back on the Clippers for the eighth seed — so they’re playing to win. Finishing as the seventh or eighth seed is crucial, as those teams need to lose twice to be eliminated from the play-in. A ninth or tenth seed can get bounced after one bad game.
Portland’s centerpiece, Deni Avdija, is healthy again after missing time earlier this month with a back injury. The first-time All-Star leads the team with 24.2 points and 6.8 assists, also pulling down seven rebounds per game. He has scored at least 23 points in three straight contests. Second-leading scorer Shaedon Sharpe (foot) remains sidelined, but the Blazers are a solid 13-11 without him this season.
On the other side, the Nets sit 13th in the East at 17-54, ranking 28th in net rating this season. Brooklyn is in full-on tank mode and will remain without star forward Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring) for Monday’s contest. Without Porter, who averages 24.2 points per game, the Nets are 3-16 and own an ugly -12.4 net rating — which would mark a league low.
Brooklyn has yet to release its injury report, but Noah Clowney (wrist) will likely hit the sidelines again, while Egor Demin (foot) and Day’Ron Sharpe (thumb) are both out for the season. Danny Wolf (ankle) also got injured in Sunday’s loss to the Kings, so he may be inactive as well. Ziaire Williams and Nolan Traore will likely be the main scorers for this strained Nets team, one that has no intentions of winning right now.
Trail Blazers vs. Nets pick, best Bet
A Trail Blazers victory feels virtually guaranteed, as they’re far more motivated than the tanking Nets. Both teams are playing their second game in as many nights, and without rest this season, the Blazers are 9-5 and the Nets are 1-11.
Portland should win this game, but covering a 14.5-point spread is far from easy. The Blazers are 0-2 ATS when favored by double digits this season.
Rather than backing either side to cover, I prefer to back this game falling under its total of 219.5 points. The Nets have gone under in five of their last six games, while the Blazers have fallen under in 9 of 14 games without rest this season.