Pelicans visit Trail Blazers in hoops battle

New Orleans travels to Portland on Saturday, hoping to boost its 11-13 mark with a victory over the Trail Blazers.

This season the Trail Blazers are 22-5 overall and 18-9 ATS against the number, while the Pelicans are 11-13 and 9-14-1 ATS. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). As for the totals, Portland is 20-7 on the OU, and New Orleans is 14-10.

View New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers Odds and Stats.

On the Sportsbook line for this matchup at Sportsbook, the Trail Blazers sat as -9-point Favorite. The total had been pegged earlier by the oddsmakers at Sportsbook at 210.5.

The Trail Blazers sit at No. 1 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Pelicans are at No. 10 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Trail Blazers will win this game 102-96.



Last time out for New Orleans, they were a 108-95 loser as they battled the Clippers on the road. The Pelicans failed to cover in the match as a 9.5-point underdog, while 203 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Pelicans got a 24-point performance from Anthony Davis, who added 12 rebounds, but Los Angeles still ran past New Orleans 108-95 on Wednesday at STAPLES Center.

Portland lost its last outing, a 120-109 result against the Timberwolves on December 18. The Trail Blazers failed to cover in that game as a 2.5-point underdog, while the 229 combined points took the game OVER the total. Portland got 36 points from Damian Lillard en route to a 120-109 loss at the hands of Portland on Wednesday at Target Center.

How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Portland's No. 1-ranked offense (108.33 PPG) against a Pelicans defense that ranks No. 26 at 102.46 PPG. The Trail Blazers have averaged 45.74% from the field per game, more than the Pelicans have managed so far this season (44.61% on average).

Next up:
New Orleans at Sacramento, Monday, December 23rd
Portland home to Los Angeles, Thursday, December 26th