NBA 2021/22 on Wednesday, 06.04.2022
Among our NBA picks, the matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers is certainly not one of the most scintillating pairings of this final stretch of the Regular Season.
But there is a good “betting reason” why I took a closer look at this game.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Rip City were to lose all their remaining games – that’s how bad things are for the visitors at the moment. So my Thunder Trail Blazers tip knows only one clear favourite with regard to tonight!
The Trail Blazers went downhill in the second half of the season. This is partly the fault of the many injuries that have piled up in recent weeks, and of course the team’s poor performances on the floor.
The bottom line is that Portland lost its seventh NBA game in a row yesterday against the Spurs! If we extend our period of observation by one week, only one victory could be celebrated over the game-weak Pistons during the last twelve games.
This rapid downturn shortly before the end has of course to do with the worsening injury misfortune. The medical department of the visitors confirmed the absence of nine more important players tonight.
Now it’s not that the home side is doing better overall – on the contrary: OKC (23) has four fewer victories than their upcoming opponents.
In addition, nine players will be absent on Oklahoma’s side – including key players like Gilgeous-Alexander. However, I am optimistic about the performance of the second suit last night.
The guests were none other than the leaders of the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns! And even if Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker were spared for the playoffs, the performance of the underdogs should not be underestimated.
The Thunder won 117-96 against a slightly weakened Suns starting five, but they still had it in them. Moreover, the home side convinced me especially on the board.
With an advantage of 54 to 33 rebounds, Oklahoma City showed tremendous presence under the basket. I would even go so far as to say that the quintet of Pokusevski, Wiggins, Roby, Krejci and Maledon put in perhaps their best performance of the season.
Incidentally, both franchises faced each other only a few days ago, when OKC – then still visiting Portland – could already celebrate a narrow 134-131 victory. But this time it should be much easier for the home side to win
The hosts have already won each of their three games against Portland this season. Interesting is certainly the fact that in the two of these three games both teams failed to reach the 100-point mark …
For a home triumph, the markets are trading at around 1.60, while an away win to end Rip City’s negative streak is currently trading at 2.40.
Conclusion: Both sides have announced nine shutouts each for tonight. Nevertheless, I see the home side in the clear favourite role with regard to the Thunder’s last home game of the season for several reasons.
OKC celebrated a surprising victory over the Suns only yesterday and beat the Trail Blazers only a few days ago for the third time in the third game of the season.
Rip City, meanwhile, is riding a negative streak of seven straight losses and its body language on the floor shows that it just wants to put the season behind it as quickly as possible.
My Thunder Trail Blazers tip is therefore: The hosts win without any big problems!
