Blazers-Thunder: How to Watch, Odds, Predictions, More

Portland will face the best of the West on Friday night.

Mar 6, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots the ball against Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Anfernee Simons (1, behind) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

After a 106-105 upset victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, the Portland Trail Blazers are looking to carry over those good vibes against one of the Western Conference's best teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

How To Watch

The Trail Blazers are set to host the Clippers at 7 p.m. PT in Portland.

The game will be broadcast locally on KATU ABC 2. Fans elsewhere can also watch on League Pass and Fubo TV.

Odds

According to sportsbook aggregator The Action Network, Oklahoma City is a -11.5 point favorite to win the game at home. Additionally, All-NBA point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is predicted to lead the Thunder in points (27.5 is his betting over/under line) while Anfernee Simons is the favorite to lead the Trail Blazers (20.5).

Predictions

The Clippers are missing forward Kawhi Leonard, who is out with a knee injury. While this is unfortunate for Los Angeles, they still shouldn't have a hard time coming out on top against the Trail Blazers.

The Clippers are starting the season off well, boasting an immaculate 4-0 record. This is largely because of 2024 MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's incredible season start, as well as the growth of second fiddles Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

Currently, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26.0 points on .427/.273/.905 shooting splits, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. Not too shabby.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers are sitting at 2-3 and have only scored over 104 points twice, in their two victories.

Simons has enjoyed a standout season thus far. The 6-foot-3 starting point guard is leading the team in scoring with 20.6 points on a shaky .388/.310/.923 slash line. He's also averaging 5.0 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per bout.

Top Blazers trade chip Jerami Grant is another standout piece on the roster, averaging 18.6 points on .381/.357/.778 shooting splits, along with 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists. At 30, he doesn't exactly align with the development timelines of 21-year-old shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe (currently still out with an injury), plus 20-year-olds Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan.

In the end, it looks like this will be an easy win for Oklahoma City. However, the same thing was said for the New Orleans Pelicans and Clippers earlier this year, so anything can happen.

More

Last season, the Thunder swept the Trail Blazers, beating Portland four times. In fact, Oklahoma City has won 12 straight regular season contests against Portland dating back to the 2022-23 NBA season.

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