The Portland Trail Blazers look to continue their road success when they take on the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. The Trail Blazers (34-28), who are seventh in the Western Conference and third in the Northwest Division, are 18-12 on the road this season. The Nets (43-20), who are first in the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division, have already clinched a playoff spot. Brooklyn, however, holds just a 1 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia for the top seed in the conference. Kevin Durant (hamstring) and James Harden (hamstring) are out for Brooklyn. Kyrie Irving is set to return from a one-game absence due to a groin injury.
The game from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Portland is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Nets vs. Blazers odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 241.5. Before finalizing any Blazers vs. Nets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,400 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,400 on its top-rated picks this season and entered Week 19 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 97-60 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Trail Blazers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Nets:
- Trail Blazers vs. Nets spread: Blazers -2.5
- Trail Blazers vs. Nets over-under: 241.5 points
- Trail Blazers vs. Nets money line: Blazers -140; Nets +120
- POR: Is 5-5 against the spread in its last 10 games
- BRK: Is 25-7 on its home court this season
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn has won five of six and three in a row on its home court. Forward Joe Harris is a big part of the Nets' offense, averaging 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 63 games, including 59 starts. He has reached double figures in eight straight games, including a 26-point effort against Charlotte on April 16. In the first meeting against the Trail Blazers, Harris finished with 17 points on 6 of 12 shooting, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
Power forward Jeff Green has also played well of late, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds in Tuesday's win over Toronto. In the first game against Portland this season, Green poured in 20 points and grabbed four rebounds. He has scored 20 or more points seven times this year. For the season, he is averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 59 games, including 35 starts.
Why the Blazers can cover
Despite that, Brooklyn isn't a lock to cover the Blazers vs. Nets spread. That's because Portland has had a lot of success against the Eastern Conference, posting a 16-10 mark this year. Point guard Damian Lillard leads the Blazers, averaging 28.2 points, 7.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He has scored 23 points in each of his last three games, including wins over Indiana on Tuesday and Memphis on Wednesday. His best game this season was a 50-point effort against New Orleans on March 16.
Shooting guard CJ McCollum has also been red hot of late, scoring 26 points against Memphis. For the season, he is averaging 23.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. McCollum's top game this year was a 44-point, eight-assist effort vs. Houston on Dec. 26. He also scored 37 points at Sacramento on Jan. 9. He scored 16 points in the first meeting against the Nets on March 23.
How to make Blazers vs. Nets picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 236 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Blazers vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a roll on NBA picks.
