Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors Game Preview
Two of the NBA's top offensive teams square off for the first time this season in what should be a fast-paced affair at the Chase Center. The red-hot Warriors boast the league's best record (16-2) and come into this one riding a five-game winning streak, the latest a 116-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers - a game where Golden State trailed by nine at the half.
Portland (10-9) sits sixth in the Western Conference, but only half a game out of tenth as the middle of the pack remains tightly bunched, looking up at the Warriors and the scorching Phoenix Suns.
The Blazers have played better of late, sweeping a four-game homestand before falling to Sacramento on the road on Wednesday. The team has been abysmal away from home, winning just one of nine games. Tonight's contest will be their third in four nights which certainly doesn't help.
Golden State has been outstanding at both ends of the court, leading the league in scoring (114.3 ppg) and defense (100.8 ppg ). Portland sits fifth in the league offensively (110.9 ppg) but 23rd defensively (109.6 ppg). Chauncey Billups's crew will likely have their hands full this evening.
The game features two of the NBA's elite point guards in the Warriors' Stephen Curry and Portland's Damian Lillard. Curry leads the NBA in scoring (28.2 ppg) while Lillard (22.3 ppg) ranks fifth at the position.
Against the spread, the Warriors are 8-2-1 at home, beating the number by an average of 8.9 points – tops in the NBA. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Blazers are 1-8 versus the spread on the road with five of their eight losses by double-digits. With the Warriors favored by six points, our model loves the league leaders as a five-star play, evidenced by the 10.9 expected margin of victory. Our model is less enamored with tonight's 225 point total but still leans towards the over in what should be an entertaining tilt.
