The Portland Trail Blazers (17-10, 9-5 away) take on the New Orleans Pelicans (12-15, 7-5 home) Wednesday night in National Basketball Association play. Both teams are playing back-to-back nights, with both coming off of victories on Tuesday night. The midweek contest tipoff is at 9 p.m. EST inside the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. New Orleans is a 3-point favorite over Portland, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Portland Trail Blazers
Portland enters Wednesday’s game after a 115-104 victory over Oklahoma City on the road Tuesday night. The Trail Blazers are riding a five-game winning streak, including their last two on the road. Portland finds themselves in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, 5.5 games behind the Utah Jazz.
Damien Lillard led the Trail Blazers in Tuesday night’s victory, scoring 31 points and dishing ten assists. Lillard shot 12-of-25 (48%) from the field, including 5-of-14 (35.7%) beyond the arc. Gary Trent Jr. added 19 points helping Portland shoot 43.8% from the floor and 42.6% from the 3-point line.
Lillard (29.3 ppg) and CJ McCollum (26.7 ppg) average 20+ points per game for Portland this season. The Trail Blazers get additional scoring from Gary Trent Jr. (15.0 ppg), veteran Carmelo Anthony (13.4 ppg), and Enes Kanter (11.5). As a team, the Trail Blazers average 115.4 ppg and shoot 44.4% from the field and 38.7% beyond the arc.
Portland is 14-12 against the spread this season, including an 8-2 record over their last ten games. The Trail Blazers are 7-6 against Western Conference opponents and 9-4 on the road.
What to Know – New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans snapped a three-game losing skid with a blowout victory (144-113) on the road against Memphis on Tuesday. The Pelicans are 5-3 over their last eight games, their best stretch of the season. New Orleans sits 10.5 games back of the leader and 2.5 games out of the final playoff spot.
Against the Grizzles, Zion Williamson scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Pelicans in scoring for the fourth-straight game. Williamson shot 13-of-16 (81.3%) from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Josh Hart came off the bench to score a season-high 27 points, shooting 62.5% (10-of-16) from the floor. The Pelicans shot 61.5% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
Williamson is the Pelicans leading scorer, averaging 24.6 points per game this season. Brandon Ingram is second on the team, pouring in 23.9 ppg. The Pelicans also rely on Lonzo Ball 13.7 ppg and Eric Bledsoe 12.8 ppg on the offensive end. New Orleans scores 114.3 ppg while shooting 48.1% from the floor and 36.4% from the 3-point line.
The Pelicans sport an 11-15 record ATS with a 6-6 mark on their home floor. New Orleans is 5-5 over their last ten games.
The Pick is In
Both the Trail Blazers and the Pelicans are peaking and playing excellent basketball midway through February. Wednesday’s game will be a great showdown between Lillard and Williamson, two stars in the game. Portland’s veteran leadership and offensive efficiency are the differences in this one.
The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +3
