On Monday, 03/10, the Golden State Warriors (36-28) will host the Portland Trail Blazers (28-36) in a Western Conference Regular-Season match-up. The Warriors are holding onto the sixth spot by a thread, whereas the Trail Blazers have been at the 12th spot for a while now. Will the Warriros’ winning caravan produce more fireworks against the vulnerable but feisty Trail Blazers? Read about the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Warriors: Jimmy Butler has reinvigorated their fortunes
The Dubs will march into this game after an impressive 5-point win against the Detroit Pistons as Stephen Curry lit them up for 32 points. It was their fourth straight win, and the Golden State Warriors are now 11-1 with Jimmy Butler. The inclusion of Butler has done wonders for them on both ends. They have stacked up over 120.3 points per game(8th), a huge uptick from their season average of 113.3 PPG(15th) in the last 13 games. Meanwhile, they have given up 108.2 PPG(3rd) compared to the season average of 111.2 PPG(9th). Overall, if the Warriors keep moving in the current direction, they can pose serious problems in the postseason, but first, they need to ensure a top-six finish at least because the Minnesota Timberwolves are right behind them.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Stephen Curry | SG: Brandin Podziemski | SG/SF: Moses Moody | PF/C: Jimmy Butler | PF/C: Draymond Green
Key Injuries/Updates: The status of Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga is UNCLEAR. Podziemski may be more likely to play.
Trail Blazers: Overachievers
The Trail Blazers will enter this match-up after playing against the Detroit Pistons the previous night. Before that, they suffered an 18-point loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder despite a 22-point performance by Scoot Henderson. They have now lost two in a row and three of their last four games, undermining their four-game winning streak. However, the wins were against below .500 win teams, while the losses have been against high-quality squads, typical of a team around the 12th position. Overall, the Trail Blazers were expected to barely go past the 20-win column, but the young squad has battled hard and has opened up a way for an optimistic future.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG/SG: Anfernee Simons | SG: Shaedon Sharpe | SF: Toumani Camara | PF: Jerami Grant | C: Donovan Clingan
Key Injuries/Updates: To be updated later.
The Warriors have constantly scored over 120 points these days, and even though the Trail Blazers are decent defensive squads, they will be exhausted after playing against the top-notch Pistons the previous night. Thus, they will fancy a 120+ piece here again, while they will also be keen on stopping the Trail Blazers perhaps below 100 points. The overall total here can be around 225.
Projected Predictions:
Stephen Curry to score over 34.5 points: The Dubs sharpshooter has tallied over 30 PPG since January and has nailed around 5 triples per game. I believe he will be in the 35-38 points range while nailing 6 triples.
Draymond Green to dish over 7.5 assists: The Warriors forward has delivered 8 assists per game in the last five games. I expect him to continue the trend here.
Anfernee Simons to be held under 17.5 points: The Trail Blazers superstar has scored 25 or more in five of the last eight games. I expect the Warriors to contain him in the 15-17 points range.
Toumani Camara to score over 10.5 points: The forward has averaged over 12 PPG since February I expect him to be in the 12-16 points range here.
The Warriors will be licking their chops for this game. They have the home-court advantage, and the visitors will be coming in after facing a high-octane squad. They will be heavy favorites, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the bookmakers project them to win by double digits here. This can be a blowout win for the home squad.
Safe Spread Pick: Warriors -13.5 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox: Imagn Images
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