NBA: The Thunder face the Trail Blazers and Greg Frank picks...
Thunder (+3.5) @ TRAIL BLAZERS (234)
Pick: Thunder +3.5
We’ve missed on the last two Trail Blazers games taking the Hornets to cover against them on Sunday and going under the total in their final game on a long road trip in Memphis on Tuesday. But we’re going back to the well with another fade of Portland in tonight’s nationally televised tilt with Oklahoma City. There’s still over a month left in the NBA regular season, but this could be a game both teams look back on. It’s a potential opening round playoff matchup and Houston, Oklahoma City and Portland are currently in a three-way tie in western conference standings. One of those three teams is going to be without home court advantage in the first round. Generally, when we can get more than a possession in a game of this magnitude, we’re going to take those points. Portland is also returning home from a season-long seven-game road trip. Often times the first game back from such a trip can feel like an additional road game but it usually isn’t priced accordingly. We like the Thunder to go into the Pacific Northwest and leave with a victory and just in case they don’t, we have 3.5 points in our back pocket.