Portland Trailblazers vs. Boston Celtics Pick
Portland Trailblazers (37-23 SU, 34-26 ATS) vs. Boston Celtics (37-24 SU, 31-30 ATS)
When: Wednesday, February 27th, 2019 – 8:00 PM ET
Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
TV: ESPN
By: Keith Franks, NBA Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: POR 2.5 / BOS -2.5 (Intertops)
Total: 227
Power Rankings: Boston -1
Takeaways From Portland and Boston’s Most Recent Games
The Trailblazers extended their winning-streak to four games when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Monday by a score of 123-110. The victory also marked Portland’s fourth straight cover as they were favored by 9.5 points.
The Celtics come in on a three-game losing streak. Last night, the Celtics traveled up to the Great White North to square off with divisional rival Toronto. Closing as a 3.5-point underdog, Boston failed to come in under the number as they were defeated 118-95 by the Raptors, just as Matt predicted. The Celtics have now failed to cover in two consecutive games.
How the Public is Betting the Portland-Boston Game
Presently, 63% of the betting consensus have like the Celtics here and are willing to spot the points. In spite of this the line has revealed indicate action has come in Portland, as we saw the Celtics open as a three-point favorite and descend by half of a point to their current number of Boston at -2.5.
The Historicals
The Trailblazers and Celtics last met in November in Portland where the Blazers would defeat the Celtics 100-94 to cover as a two-point favorite.
Injury Concerns
Both teams head into this high-profile cross-conference clash with no prevalent injury concerns to.
Rest Advantages and Concerns
The Trailblazers are presently in the midst of a lengthy seven-game road trip that concludes next Tuesday in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Portland will be playing this game on two days’ rest. For Boston, this will be their first game at home after concluding a three-game road trip in Toronto last night. Teams playing their first game at home after a three-game plus road trip is generally profitable spot historically but the Celtics are doing so on a back-to-back with limited rest. Nevertheless, Boston is 3-2 SU in back-to-backs this season.
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Can Portland’s Presence On Boards Get Rip City Another Win?
The Trailblazers sit third in the NBA in total rebounds as they generate a total of 47.8 boards per game. Boston produces a 19th ranked 45 total rebounds per game. Furthermore, Portland sits fourth in opponent rebounding as the opposition gather 43.4 total boards per contest. For Boston, the Celtics surrender 45.6 total rebounds per game which places them 22nd in the NBA. Portland can utilize their rebounding prowess as an avenue to get their fourth straight road win.
Can Boston’s Defense End Their Losing Streak With Style?
The Celtics sit seventh in scoring defense as they allow just 107 points per game. Boston is also one of the best at disrupting the shooting operations of their opponents as they allow the opposition to hit a second-ranked 44.5% from the field. The Celtics will deploy this approach to slow down Portland’s top-ten scoring offense which produces 113.8 points per game (9th in the NBA). Portland’s defense sits 12th in the NBA in scoring but they give up 3.2 more points per game at 110.2 points per contest. The Celtics own the 12th-ranked scoring offense which produces 112.5 points per game. Boston should be able to score enough to put them in position to get a win and a cover too as this game is forecasted to be settled by just a basket. Combining an edge in the turnover department along with their overall defensive prowess, the Celtics will look to hone these advantages to snap the losing streak.
Betting Trends
A pertinent betting trend in this series is the fact that the Away Team has gone 4-1 SU in the previous five meetings between these two teams.
Keith’s Pick to Cover the Spread: Boston -2.5
Buying low and selling high is a key element of sports handicapping. The stock in Portland is extremely high given their present win streak combined with their overall profitability against the spread in the last four games. As a result of this trend, takers can expect Portland to become more overvalued with each win they pick up and each cover they foster. On the flipside Boston is more bound to be undervalued given the fact they have lost their previous three contests overall. As a result, the Celtics can find themselves in position to either be spotting less points than they should or taking back inflated points. Despite the contrasting forms of both squads at the moment, the market seems firm in the fact that Boston will get the job done here. I echo that sentiment. The Celtics remain 23-8 SU on their own hardwood this season and have shown an ability to play at an elite level in the TD Garden. Portland still remains a 13-15 SU team when they are away from home even with their present three-game win streak outside of Rip City. However, Portland isn’t beating up on Cleveland like they did in their last game. No, Portland has to deal with the mean green fighting machine that is the Boston Celtics. You can bet that the Celtics will be highly motivated coming in to this contest as they will be looking to atone for what transpired when the two teams last met in Rip City in November. Portland led by as much as 21 points in the contest and nearly blew it as the Celtics managed to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Despite the blown lead, Portland would manage to go on and secure the win. Boston will be fired up looking to avenge this bitter loss and get themselves off the snide while doing so. I trust Boston will win here and do so by more than just a bucket. The Celtics will cover this one easy.
