Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers NBA Picks Against the Spread 10/24/17
Will the under cash for bettors when the Trail Blazers host the Pelicans tonight at 10:00PM ET?
The Odds: Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers, 10:00PM ET, Tuesday
According to oddsmakers, Portland is a 5-point home favorite to win tonight. New Orleans opened as 3.5-point underdogs but the line climbed nearly two full points. As for the total, the number hit the board at 218 before dropping to the current number of 217.5.
New Orleans enters play with a 1-2 record on the year but is 2-1 against the spread thus far. Portland, meanwhile, is 2-1 straight up and 2-0-1 at the betting window.
New Orleans Pelicans
Rajon Rondo (sports hernia) has been going through shooting drills after practices. Rondo is still expected to miss about another month, and the recent acquisition of Jameer Nelson will allow New Orleans to be extra cautious.
Jameer Nelson, meanwhile, made his Pelicans debut on Sunday with five points, five assists, one rebound and one steal in 24 minutes of action. Nelson was running the offense down the stretch of a close game tonight, even though he’d been with the Pelicans for only a few hours. Alvin Gentry obviously trusts him, and he rewarded that faith with some nice passes and a clutch 3-pointer to extend New Orleans’ lead with 1:26 left.
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard registered 26 points, five rebounds, four assists, three 3-pointers, four steals and six turnovers during Saturday’s 113-110 loss to the Bucks. Lillard started the game out slow as he struggled with foul trouble, but he absolutely took over during the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of his 26 points while posting an absurd 40.0 usage rate. Lillard has gotten off to a hot start this year, owning averages of 23.7 points, 5.7 boards, 5.3 dimes, 2.0 steals, 2.3 triples, 1.3 swats and 2.0 turnovers per contest on 45.1 percent shooting.
C.J. McCollum also scored 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting during Saturday’s loss to the Bucks, adding three rebounds, three 3-pointers, one assist, two steals and two turnovers in 37 minutes. McCollum was also a perfect 5-of-5 from the charity stripe in this one, giving him a sterling 64.4 true shooting percentage on the evening to accompany his 27.1 usage rate. He’s hit the ground running this year.
Our Prediction
The under has been a great bet in this series. In the 12 meetings between these two teams, the under is 8-3-1. In the last seven meetings in Portland, the under is 5-1-1.
The under is also 59-29-3 in the Pelicans’ last 91 road games dating back to last season. The under is also 6-2-1 in the Trail Blazers’ last nine games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in its previous game.
Tuesday NBA Prediction: Pelicans/Trail Blazers under 217.5
