Portland Trail Blazers favoured to extend hot streak against Nets
Published:
Daniel Coyle, American Sports Correspondent | February 23, 2016
Brooklyn Nets @ Portland Trail Blazers (-11.5)
Portland Trail Blazers will be looking to keep up the torrid run that has earned them straight up victories in 10 of their last 11 when they play host to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday as 11.5-point favourites in NBA betting at Coral.
The Blazers have not only been winning, but winning big, including a stunning 137-105 victory over the heavily favoured Golden State Warriors last weekend, notching their fifth outright win in their past six as betting underdogs.
Portland’s most recent triumph came on Sunday, getting past Utah by a 115-111 score, saddling the Jazz with just their third SU loss in their past 11, and avoiding a letdown after handing the Warriors their worst defeat in two years, and avenging a lopsided 128-108 loss to the Dubs earlier this season.
The Trail Blazers have also emerged as one of the most reliable NBA bets, going 13-4 ATS over the past 17, and 9-3 ATS in their past 12 at home.
Brooklyn travel to Portland to kick-off their longest road trip of the season, a nine-game, 18-day journey that features match-ups with seven Western Conference opponents.
It has been another brutal season for The Nets, as they sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with a 15-41 overall record, and just eight SU wins in their past 34 games.
Brooklyn hit the road on a promising 3-3 SU run over their past six, but are coming off a 104-96 loss to Charlotte on Monday, failing to cover as 7-point underdogs after posting ATS victories in five of their previous eight.
Tuesday night’s date at Moda Center marks the second meeting of the season between these two clubs. Portland dominated in a 116-104 win in Brooklyn in mid-January, extending their dominance of the Nets which includes wins in 11 of their past 15 encounters, including nine of their past 11 on home court.
Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz (-4.5)
The Jazz will look to get back on track on Tuesday when they return home to take on Houston Rockets as 4.5-point favourites.
Utah open a three-game homestand at EnergySolutions Arena just half a game back of the Rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Salt Lake City side the Jazz sit among the most defensively responsible in the NBA this season, surrendering just 96.8 points per game, but has allowed triple digits in four of their past five contests, averaging 106 points against per game.
However, Utah have been tough to beat at home, going undefeated in their past six, while allowing just 85.7 ppg. Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward features in a Coral match special of 7/4 to inspire his team to victory and score 20 points or more in the process (max stake £20).
After winning 56 games last season en route to a second-place finish in the Western Conference, the Rockets have stumbled badly this season, posting SU wins in just three of their past nine to enter the week with a middling 28-28 record.
Not surprisingly, Houston has also been a major disappointment for punters, going 23-32-1 ATS on the season, including a current 3-5-1 ATS stretch, and have failed to pick up back-to-back ATS wins in four weeks.
Their date in Utah marks the fourth in a five-game road trip, which they opened with double-digit defeats in Golden State and Portland before tallying a 116-100 win over the hapless Phoenix Suns last Friday.
The Rockets’ playoff future could be decided over their next three weeks, which sees them play eight of 10 games on the road, leaving them in a desperate position against the Jazz, whom they have beaten SU in 10 of their past 12 meetings, including two of their past four on the road.
In other NBA action on Tuesday, Philadelphia 76ers will try to halt their four-game SU losing streak when they host the Orlando Magic as 5.5-point underdogs, while the Washington Wizards play host to Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans as 4.5-point chalk.
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