Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview

NBA Western Conference foes meet up on Wednesday night as the New Orleans Pelicans host the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland has been playing great basketball of late, while the Pelicans are heading in the opposite direction.

The Trail Blazers have now won five straight games, and they have improved their record to 17-10 on the season. Portland sits in second place in the Northwest Division, but they are 5.5 games behind the Utah Jazz.

New Orleans just recently snapped a three-game losing streak, but the Pelicans are just 12-15 on the year. The Pelicans are in fourth place in the Southwest Division, and they have some work to do to become a playoff contender. 

The New Orleans Pelicans are three-point favorites over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. 

Trail Blazers Try to Play Fast

The Portland Trail Blazers are averaging more than 115 points per game this season while giving up 114.8 points per game on the other end of the floor. Portland is comfortable playing the game at a fast-pace, but they need to find a way to get better defensively.

Point guard Damian Lillard leads the way with 29.3 points and 7.4 assists per game, and he is one of the ten best players in the league. When the Trail Blazers need a big shot or a clutch play, it is Lillard that provides the offense.

The Trail Blazers are also shooting better than 38 percent from deep, and they aren’t afraid to launch shots early in the shot clock. Playing without CJ McCullom has been a challenge at times, but the Trail Blazers have started to win without their second-best player. 

Pelicans Led By Young Stars

The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the youngest teams in the league, and a pair of young stars are leading the way. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram could both be All-Stars this season, and they are the faces of the franchise moving forward.

Williamson leads the team with 24.6 points per game, and he is shooting better than 61 percent from the floor. Ingram has chipped in with 23.9 points per game, and he is shooting better than 40 percent from the three-point line. 

New Orleans is allowing over 114 points per game, and that could be a problem moving forward. The Pelicans can really score, but they have to find a way to get some defensive stops if they want to start winning games. 

Pelicans Pound Trail Blazers

Both of these teams can really score, and that should lead to a very high-scoring affair. Portland has the edge at the guard position, but the Pelicans counter with a pair of All-Star forwards. 

Look for New Orleans to take control of this game in the paint, and that should allow them to create some separation in this matchup. The Pelicans need to win this game at home, and they will cruise to a comfortable win.

Bet the New Orleans Pelicans -3.0 over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

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