The Portland Trail Blazers and Pheonix Suns meet in the desert at the Footprint Center. Portland has been playing on one leg recently with a banged-up roster missing key players on the floor.
Along with injuries to Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Eric Bledsoe, and Joe Ingles, the Trail Blazers traded CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Damian Lillard isn't over the trade that sent CJ McCollum to the Pelicans. ? pic.twitter.com/IiKvCkGtoY
— theScore (@theScore) February 23, 2022
The organization is well aware that they’re going into a rebuild. McCollum is the first chip to fall after the Trail Blazers failed NBA Championship bid.
Some people thought very highly of the Blazers over the last few years. The team was going for it and thought they could compete deep into the playoffs.
Trading Lillard might sound foolish on paper, but they can’t let him sink with the ship, and the Blazers get nothing in return for him.
Nurkic was probably gone at the deadline if he were healthy. Staying healthy has been a theme for Nurk throughout his career.
Jusuf Nurkic will miss at least a month with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, the Trail Blazers announced. pic.twitter.com/b7IObxXFD2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 23, 2022
The Blazers are coming off a 132-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors and 124-92 to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Tough look for a team that cannot put their best lineup on the floor.
Phoenix is on a skid and might be looking for someone to take their frustrations out on tonight. The Suns are coming off back-to-back losses, with a 117-102 loss to the Pelicans and 118-114 to the Jazz on Sunday.
Despite the two losses, they were on an eight-game losing streak before the slip-up and the Suns are better than fine at 49-12 and a 6.5-game lead over the Warriors for the lead in the West.
Head below for our free Trail Blazers vs. Suns prediction on March 2, 2022.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Odds and Team Statistics:
The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Trail Blazers | +13 (-103) | +500 | Over 228.5 (-115) |
| Phoenix Suns | -13 (-117) | -650 | Under 228.5 (-105) |
| Team Data | Portland Trail Blazers | Phoenix Suns |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 25-36 | 49-12 |
| ATS Record | 25-35-1 | 33-28-0 |
| Away/Home Record | 9-18 | 26-7 |
| ATS Away/Home | 10-17-0 | 15-18-0 |
| Points Per Game | 107.7 | 113.6 |
| Points Against Per Game | 105.9 | 112.6 |
| Field Goal % | 44.7 | 48.2 |
| Three Point % | 35.1 | 36.1 |
Trail Blazers vs. Suns Prediction:
Without a healthy Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers don’t have much to go to. With CJ McCollum in New Orleans, the options are limited for the Trail Blazers.
Norman Powell? He’s in Los Angeles with the Clippers in what was a failed move for Gary Trent Jr. with the Raptors.
Their starting five against the Nuggets were Josh Hart, CJ Elleby, Drew Eubanks, Anfernee Simons, and Keon Johnson.
It’s easy to see how the Nuggets pasted them by a score of 124-92. Now the Blazers have to deal with the Suns tonight.
I don’t see that going well for Portland. The Blazers are 25th in the NBA with 112.6 points per game and a 47.3% field goal percentage for 27th.
Portland is not as good as that, statistically, with their current cast of characters on the floor. They are one of the worst teams from three, and it’s only going to worsen without any dangerous shooters on the floor.
Portland is 29th, with a three-point percentage of 37.1% entering tonight. They need some threes against the Suns, which should be tough to come by in Phoenix.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Trends:
- 1-6 ATS in their previous seven games after a loss
- 1-4 ATS in their previous five games after a loss by more than 10 points
- 2-5 ATS in their previous seven games versus a team with a winning record
- 1-4 ATS in their previous five games at Phoenix
- 3-8 ATS in their previous 11 games versus the Suns
- 5-2 ATS in their previous seven games after failing to cover the spread
- 8-3 ATS in their previous 11 games versus the Trail Blazers
- 4-1 ATS in their previous five games versus the Trail Blazers at home
- 17-3 overall in their previous 20 games
- 9-2 overall in their previous 11 games at home
Phoenix is best on the perimeter defensively. This doesn’t bode well for a Blazer team that lacks a scoring touch with their current lineup.
The Suns lead the NBA with a three-point percentage against of 33.2%. There isn’t another team better than the Suns at defending behind the arch.
There also isn’t any team with a better field goal percentage. Phoenix is shooting at a 48.2% clip for first in the NBA. Note that Cameron Payne is expected back tonight as well.
The Trail Blazers will try, but likely going to come well short in the desert. They don’t have enough offense in this one, as the Suns win going away for a 125-106 win tonight.
MORE FREE SPORTS BETTING PICKS!
