Oklahoma City Thunder vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 11/01/2024, 08:00  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 11/01/2024 at 12:00 in NBA Prediction

The Portland Trail Blazers will head to the Paycom Center to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. The hosts are 24-11 and second in the Western Conference, while the visitors are 10-26 and second bottom in the current standings. 

The Portland Trail Blazers have been struggling lately, losing four of their last five games, including a 112-84 road defeat to the Knicks. Jerami Grant led the team with 21 points, and Anfernee Simons chipped in with 12 points. The Trail Blazers have battled on offense this season, currently ranking as the 29th-scoring team in the NBA with an average of 108.3 points per game. In terms of defense, they are allowing 116.2 points per game, with a defensive rating of 116.6, placing them 17th in the league. Unfortunately for Portland, they are likely to be short-handed in the upcoming match, with DeAndre Ayton, Robert Williams, Moses Brown, and Jabari Walker all flagged as doubtful.

Meanwhile, in contrast, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in great form, winning 10 of their last 13 games, including a 128-120 road victory over the Miami Heat where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 28 points and eight assists, and Chet Holmgren added 23 points with nine rebounds and three blocks. Offensively, the Thunder are averaging 122.3 points per game, which is 6.1 points more than the average points allowed by the Portland Trail Blazers (116.2). Defensively, they are allowing 114.8 points per game, ranking 14th in the NBA. Notably, the Thunder concede fewer points on the road (113.1) compared to their home games (116.2). Davis Bertans and Olivier Sarr are listed as doubtful for the upcoming match.