Filip Tomic
Show Bio
After an exciting matchup decided on a buzzer-beater last night in the Valley, the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns run it back tonight on NBA TV. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 pm ET — continue reading below to see my Same Game Parlay for the Saturday showdown.
Don’t forget to check our NBA Predictions for picks on the first part of the NBA TV doubleheader between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.
Let’s dive into the Blazers vs Suns matchup now.
Deandre Ayton to score 25+ points (+410)
Mikal Bridges over 1.5 made threes (+138)
Parlay odds: +1077
Deandre Ayton to score 25+ points (+410)
In today’s NBA the role of centers has been significantly diminished but Deandre Ayton has adapted his game really well. That earned him a massive contract extension in the offseason and he will be the cornerstone of the Suns franchise for years to come. He’s second on the team in scoring behind Devin Booker and his 2 best games of the season came against tonight’s opponents, the Blazers. In last night’s loss he had 24 points on a very efficient 10-for-14 shooting from the field to go along with his 8 rebounds. He also knocked down both of his 3-point attempts, which was a season high. He has dominated Jusuf Nurkic whenever they play. He’s gone over 20 points in 4 of the last 5 meetings and in the last 3 games he’s averaging 26 per game. Portland’s Achilles heel on defense appears to be defending the paint – they rank just 19th in the league allowing 49.8 points in the painted area, so fingers crossed Ayton can make the most out of that tonight.
Read our full predictions on the side and total for Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns
Mikal Bridges over 1.5 made threes (+138)
The fact that he won’t have to deal with Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons on the defensive end means that Miles Bridges can spend a lot more time focusing on scoring. Last night he finished with 12 points while making 2 of 3 threes. It was the 3rd time in 4 games against Portland that he’s scored a pair of threes, and he is shooting almost 48% from downtown in 16 career games against the Blazers. The Suns have upped their 3-point makes to 14.3 per game over their last 3 and Bridges is one of the most consistent shooters for them. Opponents are making 37% of their 3-point attempts against Portland, which ranks them only 23rd in the NBA. They are also a bottom-10 team in opponent threes per game, allowing 12.6 per night (and 13.7 over their last 3 games). With Chris Paul being very reserved when it comes to shooting the ball, Bridges may benefit the most in getting more opportunities to score. He only has to make a couple of shots for our bet to land.
Pickswise is the home of free NBA Picks and NBA Predictions. Check out the latest NBA Prop Bets and NBA Parlays as well as NBA Best Bets from our NBA experts.
