Things have not gone to plan for the Brooklyn Nets this season. They entire this game with a 6-9 record and look set to be in a dogfight to reach the playoffs if their performances so far are anything to go by. As for the Portland Trail Blazers, it has been the total opposite. Not much was expected of this team, but they are proving the doubters wrong as they sit top of the Western Conference standings with a 10-4 record. Can they keep the good times rolling? Our NBA expert has picks, predictions and best bets for this huge Nets vs Blazers matchup.
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Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers prediction
This game has the potential to answer two questions for us — how good are the Nets, and how good are the Blazers. If Portland wants to be taken seriously this season, then they have a great opportunity to prove why against Brooklyn. But if the Nets want to prove that they are still NBA championship contenders, then they can silence the doubters with victory against the Blazers. The fact that Portland is at home and still only a slight favorite shows that the betting market is still respecting Brooklyn, but we’ll find out tonight if they are right to do so.
Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers spread, odds & betting lines
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Point Spread: Nets +2.5, Trail Blazers -2.5
Total Points Over/Under: 220 points
Money Line Odds: Nets +118, Trail Blazers -138
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Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers expert picks
We’ve got 2 standout NBA picks for tonight’s game between the Nets and Trail Blazers.
Nets vs Blazers point spread pick: Blazers -2.5 (-110)
Brooklyn just gave up an astounding 153 points in a loss to Sacramento earlier this week. Even if the Nets had Kyrie Irving on the floor, I am not sure they could have scored enough to keep it competitive. Kevin Durant is trying to settle this team down, but with the Kyrie saga and Ben Simmons still not much of a factor, it is hard to see how this team wins. With every game, the season is getting closer to being lost.
Portland has been a pleasant surprise so far in 2022-23. The Trail Blazers are leading the Northwest Division thanks to a trio of 20+ppg scorers in Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant. Rookie Shaedon Sharpe has looked good, too. Portland might actually have some staying power in a season that looked like it might be heading to the lottery next summer. The Blazers have even won some games with Lillard out of the lineup.
It is amazing how much respect the Nets are still getting in the market. The Blazers are just small favorites at home, indicating the only difference between the teams right now is the location of the game. I think that is far from the case, and if you see Lillard and Durant as cancelling each other out there are a lot of advantages for Portland. Plus, the last time we saw the Nets they were just awful. They are not built to bounce back quickly, either.
Nets vs Blazers Over/Under totals pick: Over 220 (-110)
The Nets have not played much defense all season long. They just gave up 150+ points on the road to the Kings and it is hard to know if that is the franchise hitting rock bottom or whether it is a sign of things to come. I would much rather wager on them being a bad defensive team until we see otherwise for some stretch, especially against an opponent like Portland that — although athletic — is not the most gifted defensive squad. I am putting little stock in their early defensive ratings. I’m going with the over.
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