Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Suns vs Blazers: Does Portland stand a chance in this one?
The Portland Trail Blazers are going through a difficult time of the season and will try to win their second game of the year when they host the Phoenix Suns in Moda Center on Sunday.
Is Phoenix a contender?
The Phoenix Suns have not met expectations so far in the season, as they are eighth in the Western Conference with a 20-18 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a promising 127-109 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles. Bradley Beal had the best game since he joined the Suns, dropping 37 points. Kevin Durant leads the Suns with 29.3 points per game, which ranks him fifth in the league. The Suns lead the league with 32.6 defensive rebounds per game and are ranked 15th with 115.6 points per game.
How bad are the Blazers?
The Portland Trail Blazers are 14th in the Western Conference with a 10-28 record. They have won only 5 of 16 home games this season. The Blazers have lost the last three games and are coming off a 116-93 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jabari Walker led the Blazers in scoring for the first time this season with 17 points. Anfernee Simons is the leading scorer on the Blazers team with 22.8 points per game. Portland is the worst shooting team in the league with 43% shooting from the field, even though they are ranked 8th in field goal attempts with 90.6 per game.
Betting Trends
The Suns have covered the spread in 12 of the last 18 games against the Blazers. Portland is 1-6 ATS in the last 7 games and 0-5 ATS in the last 5 games against Western Conference opponents.
Prediction and Conclusion
Portland is in terrible form, losing the last three games by an average margin of 37.6 points, including a 62-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Suns are coming off an 18-point win over the Lakers and are a 10-point favorite in this game. The Suns have a lot to make up for the slow start of the season, and they will cruise past the Blazers with an easy win covering the given spread.
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