New Orleans Pelicans vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 4/14/2018 Prediction & Odds

Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers Prediction

The final NBA playoffs game on Saturday's slate will take place in Portland where the Trail Blazers will host the New Orleans Pelicans at 10:30 p.m. ET. Is the underdog a solid bet in Game 1 of this series?

Game Snapshot

505 Miami Heat at 506 Philadelphia 76ers

Saturday, April 14, 2018

TV: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET

Public Betting Information

According to oddsmakers from online sportsbook YouWager, the Trail Blazers are 5-point home favorites to beat the Pelicans while the over/under sits at 217.5 points. As of this writing, 51% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Trail Blazers to cover the spread. Meanwhile, 69% of the betting tickets are on the over.

Pelicans' Davis coming off a monster game heading into playoffs

Anthony Davis put up another monster game during a 122-98 win over the Spurs on Wednesday, scoring 22 points with 15 boards, one assist, three steals and four blocks in 35 minutes. AD said he will be going into a Westbrook-like mode since DeMarcus Cousins went down, and he wasn't kidding as the league's MVP if we're going off just February to April. For the second year in a row, Anthony "Locker Room" Davis played in 75 games despite a ridiculous amount of minor injuries. He finishes with 28.1 points, 11.1 boards, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.6 blocks.

Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday scored 23 points with three rebounds, seven assists, one steal and six turnovers in 34 minutes during a win over the Spurs on Wednesday. He played in 81 games, he had his most efficient season ever with a 57 TS%, and he had tough defensive assignments all season. He should be a lock to be on the All-Defensive Teams

Harless won't suit up for Trail Blazers in Game 1 vs. Pelicans

Moe Harkless (arthroscopic knee surgery) has been ruled out for Game 1 vs. the Pelicans. It sounds like he's getting closer and he is scheduled to be re-evaluated within the next couple days. Harkless was given a three-week timetable back on March 27, so there's a chance we could see him in this series. He was playing really well before the injury and could be an X-factor on both ends for the Blazers.

The Blazers snapped their four-game losing streak on Wednesday, led by Damian Lillard's 36 points (13-of-25 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), 10 assists, four 3-pointers, one rebound and one steal in 37 minutes. He was mired in a slump recently, but he'll head into the postseason with some momentum after this stellar effort that helped the Blazers clinch the No. 3 seed in the West. Lillard did take a hard spill with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, but he's one of the toughest guys in the league and should be ready for Game 1 vs. the Pelicans.

Betting Trends

New Orleans

The Pelicans are just 2-6 against the spread in their last eight trips to Portland.

Portland

The home team is 9-4 against the spread in the last 13 meetings between these two teams while the favorite is 10-3 against the number in the last 13 meetings.

Our Prediction

The Pelicans are a perfect 5-0 at the betting window in their last five games overall and have cashed for bettors in 10 of their last 13 road games. They're also 13-3 against the spread in their last 16 games coming off a win and are 4-0 against the number in their last four games coming off a win of more than 10 points. I'll roll the dice and take the visiting underdog.

 

NBA Prediction: New Orleans Pelicans +5