Portland Trail Blazers vs Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Pick & Prediction 3/7/25
In a Western Northwest division matchup, the Thunder (-126) host the Trail Blazers (+106) at Paycom Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 ET. The Thunder are favored by 1.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 226.5.
Portland (28-35) is 12th in the Western Conference, while Oklahoma City (51-11) is first. The Thunder have won five straight games.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER BETTING PICK
The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +1.5
This game will be played at Paycom Center at 8:00 ET on Friday, March 7th.
WHY BET THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 109-59 in favor of the Trail Blazers.
- Our projections have Shaedon Sharpe finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
- From the field, we have the Trail Blazers finishing with a field goal percentage of 44.3% and knocking down 14 threes.
Will the Trail Blazers Win on the Road?
The Trail Blazers fell to 28-35 on the season after a 128-118 road loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Portland entered the game as +9.5 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread, losing by 10. The total points for the game were 246, surpassing the O/U line of 223.5 by 22.5 points.
Boston took control with an 11-0 run, extending their lead from 54-53 to 65-53. Portland was down 102-82 going into the 4th quarter but outscored the Celtics 36-26 in the final period.
In their 128-118 loss to the Celtics, the Trail Blazers shot 50% from the field and hit 16 threes at a 40% clip. Anfernee Simons led the way with 30 points, while Shaedon Sharpe added 25, and Jabari Walker contributed 22 points, knocking down 6 threes without a miss.
Simons scored 15 points in the 4th quarter, and Sharpe added 12 in the final frame. Walker had 14 points in the 3rd quarter, and Toumani Camara chipped in 7 of his 12 points in the 4th.
The Trail Blazers struggled defensively against the Celtics, giving up 128 points in the loss. Portland allowed 31 points in the 1st quarter, 35 in the 2nd, and 36 in the 3rd before tightening up in the 4th, where they gave up 26 points. Overall, the Celtics shot 46% from the field.
Portland had a tough time defending the three, as Boston hit 23 threes at a 42% clip. The Celtics also went 15/17 from the free-throw line. The Trail Blazers finished with 31 defensive rebounds but allowed 18 offensive boards, while also recording 4 steals and 3 blocks.
Can Oklahoma City Deliver Being Favored at Home?
The Thunder improved to 51-11 this season with a 120-103 road win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Oklahoma City, favored by 7 points, covered the spread with the win. The game’s total score of 223 points fell 30 points short of the pre-game over/under line of 253.
A key moment came when the Thunder went on an 11-0 run, turning a 70-64 deficit into a 75-70 lead. They outscored Memphis 31-27 in the 2nd quarter and 30-23 in the 3rd, entering the 4th quarter with a 91-78 lead. They closed out the game by edging Memphis 29-25 in the final period.
In their win over the Grizzlies, the Thunder shot 50.6% from the field and connected on 15 threes at a 41.7% clip. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 41 points, 15 of which came in the 3rd quarter, and he also added 8 assists.
Jalen Williams contributed 20 points, while Aaron Wiggins added 16, scoring 10 in the 4th quarter. Wiggins also hit 3 threes, shooting 75% from deep.
The Thunder put together a strong defensive performance on Wednesday, holding the Grizzlies to 103 points. Oklahoma City gave up 28 points in the 1st quarter and 27 in the 2nd, but tightened up in the 3rd, allowing just 23 points. They finished strong in the 4th, conceding only 25 points.
Overall, the Thunder limited the Grizzlies to 40% shooting from the field, including just 9 made threes on 26% shooting. Oklahoma City sent Memphis to the line 22 times, where they made 20 free throws. The Thunder also recorded 10 steals and 4 blocks in the game.