Trail Blazers PG Damian Lillard OUT Thursday vs. Pelicans

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard has been ruled out of the team’s matchup on Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans, per the league’s injury report.

Lillard will be seeing some rest on the back end of a back-to-back for a calf injury he suffered on Wednesday night. The spread was at 6.5 in favor of the Pelicans prior to this news and has now ballooned to nine points following the report. This will be a situation to keep an eye on heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, but Lillard should be just fine.

In 2022, Lillard has averaged 28.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in seven starts this season. With him out of the action, expect Anfernee Simons to step into a bigger role as the team’s top option.

Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Odds

The Portland Trail Blazers are currently nine-point underdogs against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday with the total set at 222.5, per the FanDuel Sportsbook.