Portland Trail Blazers vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction: Amped-up 76ers take on flailing Blazers

NBA is on and we have reached the midway which signifies that we are close to the trade deadline and there is no doubt that a lot of rumors will swirl around us. There are a lot of ways that this window can transform the fortunes of various teams and we can see some big-time players in different teams. Anyway, in this Regular Season game, the Portland Trail Blazers will take on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Portland Trail Blazers

Form

Portland comes into the game after losing 113:122 against the Denver Nuggets despite Damian Lillard’s 44 points performance. Lillard has scored 36 or more in four games straight and that is what it has taken for Portland to field a strong offense. However, despite that, the team has lost six of their last eight games because of which their record is 23 losses and 21 wins. They should have had a much better record considering how they were playing earlier when they had 10 wins and 4 losses, meaning they have lost 19 and won just 11 since then. They have now lost eight in a row away from home.

Weak Bench

While Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant have played well, averaging around 35 combined but their scoring has dropped; the big trouble is the lack of production from the bench, in fact, that is the main concern at this point. The Trail Blazers’ defense isn’t terrible for sure but it hasn’t been enough to take care of repeated offensive woes. Portland will need to close out games better. They have squandered leads repeatedly and haven’t done well while cutting down leads. Let us see if the Trail Blazers correct the course and if they pull off some trades to improve.

Philadelphia 76ers

Great rhythm

The 76ers enter the picture after another awesome win as they defeated the Clippers 120:110 behind another electrifying performance by Joel Embiid who dropped 41 points and 9 rebounds. They have won three in a row, doing a fantastic job during this Western Conference road trip. They have won eight of their last ten games and have a fantastic record of 28 wins and 16 losses. As of now, they are in the third position but in an intense fight for the second spot against the Nets, Bucks, and Cavaliers. They have been playing a great brand of basketball away from home which can give them an edge long-term.

Harden-Embiid PnR

The Pick and Roll action between Joel Embiid and James Harden have had no answer. These two are among the best offensive players and with Harden’s elite passing, this combination looks like a championship-level one. They have also defended well and although at times, they have trouble building big leads and have had rebounding issues, their late-game plays are amazing to seal the deal. At this point, the 76ers can even threaten the number-one spot holder Celtics.

Injuries

• Trail Blazers: OUT: Justise Winslow. QUESTIONABLE: Gary Payton II. PROBABLE: Jusuf Nurkic;
• 76ers: Nothing to report at the time of writing.

Player Props Predictions

• Expected Leading Scorers: Damian Lillard(37-44 Points), Joel Embiid(33-36 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Jusuf Nurkic(11-13 Rebounds), Joel Embiid(10-12 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: James Harden(9-12 Assists), Damian Lillard(8-10 Assists).

Expert Betting Tips

The 76ers are looking amazing these days and their ability to close out games is what separates them from the Trail Blazers. Portland has been struggling against elite teams and will be in for another tough game here. Lillard has been doing more than his fair share and needs more help from his teammates. The Trail Blazers’ defense will need to be tight when Harden runs that peerless play with Joel Embiid. I believe this will be a close game and predict a 118:114 in favor of Portland.