It's time to start having some uncomfortable conversations about the Golden State Warriors. And these discussions should begin with their Tuesday night matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Many have simply believed the reigning champions will flip a late-season switch and go on a run. What if that's not the case? The Warriors still don't have Stephen Curry available, and their defense is in relative shambles. The prevailing belief has been they're just biding their time until the postseason. But what if their odds to make the 2023 NBA playoffs are a sham altogether?
We will get into the overarching future of the Warriors, as well as the Blazers. But first, here's a look at the latest NBA online betting odds for Golden State vs. Portland:
| To Win |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | -152 | -150 | -130 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +120 | +120 | +105 |
We recommend that you double-check these online NBA betting odds before deciding on your wager. Our Blazers vs. Warriors betting odds are accurate as of games played on Monday, February 27. With Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers slated to tip-off on Tuesday, February 28, at 10 p.m. EST, linemakers will have plenty of time to adjust these odds based on the initial action.
Anyone who has signed up with a reliable sportsbook, of course, won't have to worry about accessing the most accurate basketball betting lines. Fortunately, everyone has the ability to do just this. And we're here to help. All the information we provide in our reviews of the top online sportsbooks should help you easily spot the best NBA betting sites in 2023.
Ready for some Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors picks? Good, because we've got them below!
There is Almost No Reason for the Golden State Warriors to be Favored Over the Portland Trail Blazers
Yes, the Warriors are playing at home on Tuesday. And sure, they have bordered on dominant at Chase Center, going 24-7 on their own court for the season. But the number of holes in their rotation is too high to ignore.
Stephen Curry remains without a concrete timeline for return from injury. Andrew Wiggins, who is away from the team due to personal reasons, is in the same boat. And what's more, Draymond Green missed Golden State's last game with a knee injury. There's no guarantee he's available either.
This is too much of a talent deficit for the Warriors to overcome. The Blazers are the definition of mediocre, and they've struggled, in particular, on the road. But Damian Lillard is on a heater right now, averaging 39.4 points per game over the past month-and-a-half. The Blazers also enter with one of the NBA's five best offenses, and they will be facing off against a Warriors defense that has underachieved pretty much all season.
Maybe Portland's own depth issues come back to bite them. But their rotation is, at the very least, a hair deeper. Trade-deadline acquisitions Cam Reddish and Matisse Thybulle have turned in some quality minutes, and failing that, Anfernee Simons is downing over 40 percent of his threes since February 1. Even if the Blazers cannot get consistent stops against Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole, they have the offensive firepower to overcome a shorthanded Golden State in decided fashion.
OSB Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers (+120)
You Might Find a Safe Haven in Portland's Point Spread
Below you can see the latest NBA point spread betting odds for the Warriors vs. Blazers game on Tuesday night:
- Golden State Warriors, -3 (-110)
- Portland Trail Blazers, +3 (-110)
If you can't bring yourself to pick the Blazers to scoop up the underdog victory, then consider going for their point spread. They have almost a dead-even point differential for the season, so they're no stranger to picking up close-call losses, even if their crunch-time numbers aren't great this year.
Still, we continue to endorse picking the Blazers to win outright against the Warriors. In fact, when all is said and done, we wouldn't be surprised if Portland takes this one by double digits.
OSB Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers, +3 (-110)
Should We Expect the Blazers and Warriors to Pile on the Points?
Here are the latest NBA over/under betting odds for Blazers vs. Warriors:
- Over 237.5 (-110)
- Under 237.5 (-110)
Picking the "over" in this one mandates you go against the trend lines. The Blazers have hit the "over" in just 37.9 percent of their road games, and the Warriors have been among the best "under" bets for the entire season, with 56.7 percent of their home games landing in that territory.
Guess what? We're going against the trend line.
Portland's offense has been thermonuclear with Lillard on the court, and Golden State's defense should be a relative turnstile if Green doesn't play. The Warriors are 19th in points allowed per possession since the trade deadline and deploy what would be the league's absolute crummiest defense whenever Green is off the court, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Granted, Golden State still hasn't participated in a game that eclipsed 237 points since before the All-Star break. But they've had the benefit of playing some shoddy rival offenses. The Blazers are anything but, and we expect to drop 125-plus points on their own against this iteration of the Warriors defense.
OSB Prediction: Over 237.5 (-105)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NBA betting:
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