Portland Trying To Avoid 10th Straight Loss vs Dallas
The Dallas Mavericks try to push their way into the top three in the Western Conference standings when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Portland has dropped nine in a row and has long been eliminated from the playoff hunt. Dallas is on a two-game winning streak and sits in fourth place in the West, a game behind the third-place Golden State Warriors with two games to play. This one might seem like an obvious blowout, but let’s take a closer look at the contest before you make a bet online.
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Trail Blazers Ready For ‘Season To Forget’ To End
Head coach Chauncey Billups’ first season with the Portland Trail Blazers has not been the success he hoped, as the team will miss the postseason for the first time in nine seasons. Not that it’s been Billups’ fault, as All-Star guard Damian Lillard has played just 29 games as one of many players on the club dealing with injuries.
To that end, guard Ben McLemore leads the team in games played with just 61 this season. That lack of consistency in the lineup has made things very difficult for Portland.
Forward Drew Eubanks has been a major contributor lately, averaging 16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds over the last 10 contests. The second-year player has benefitted from more playing time and should be a top rotation player for the team going forward.
Guard CJ Elleby had a big game in the Trail Blazers’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night, going for 17 points. Elleby has been getting more minutes in the stretch run of the season and is trying to prove he should be a big part of the team’s plans going forward.
Mavericks Looking Good Entering Postseason
The Dallas Mavericks have been going through changes throughout the 2021-22 campaign, but they look together as we approach the playoffs. Dallas is trying to clinch home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which seemed impossible when the team was sitting at 16-18 earlier in the season.
“I think it’s pretty impressive,” Mavericks guard Luka Doncic said after Wednesday’s win over the Detroit Pistons. “I know we started the season a little bit slow. But in the end, it’s 82 games. It’s a long season. You’re going to have ups and downs. But I’m proud of how we played and hopefully, we’ll get to 52 (wins).”
Doncic has been impressive all season long and is coming off a near-triple-double in the win over Detroit (26 points, 14 assists, eight rebounds). The All-Star guard is averaging 28.3 points (fourth in the league), 8.8 assists (fifth), and 9.1 rebounds.
Guard Jalen Brunson is also playing well, averaging 17.6 points over his last 10 games. On the season, Brunson is contributing 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per contest.
Portland Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks Head-to-Head
The Dallas Mavericks have won both meetings between these teams this season, scoring 132 points each time. The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t won in Dallas since the first meeting of the season last year.
Dallas has won three in a row overall, which follows three straight wins by Portland in the series. The Mavericks are on a roll right now, however, the NBA odds favoring them by more than two touchdowns is rare.
Trail Blazers vs Mavericks Game Information
- Game: Trail Blazers (27-53) vs Mavericks (50-30)
- Location: American Airlines Center
- Day/Time: Friday, April 8th. 8:30 p.m. ET
- Trail Blazers Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Trail Blazers vs Mavericks Betting Lines
Trail Blazers vs Mavericks Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers are playing out the string, with little to play for in the season’s final weekend. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are rolling and have motivation, which should spell a rout in this one.
When making your NBA picks, take Dallas to win and cover at home.
Pick: Dallas Mavericks -19 ½ (-110)
