The Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns will run it back at Footprint Center on Saturday after clashing last night.
The Blazers upset the Suns as double-digit road pups yesterday, but oddsmakers expect the home side to bounce back today, with NBA betting lines opening with Phoenix as a 10-point fave.
Can Portland continue to be one of the best teams against the spread in the NBA and cover tonight? I let you know what I think with my best free NBA picks and predictions for Trail Blazers vs. Suns on November 5.
Trail Blazers vs Suns best odds
Trail Blazers vs Suns picks and predictions
After rolling to a league-best 64-18 record last season, the Suns look like one of the better teams in the NBA again, but depth is a major issue.
Backup point guard Cameron Payne missed last night's game with a foot injury, and forward Cam Johnson (13 ppg) left on crutches in the first quarter.
Add in the absence of Jae Crowder (being shopped around the league) and the sharp decline in scoring for Chris Paul (9.8 ppg), and this is an offense that's way too reliant on Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton to get buckets.
Even without Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons last night, the Trail Blazers were able to beat the Suns and now carry a 6-2 record into tonight.
Jerami Grant has been an excellent addition on the wing, and having a healthy Jusuf Nurkic back on the floor gives them a big man to neutralize Ayton in the post.
I'm leaning towards Portland with the points but will likely wait until just before tipoff to bet on this game to see if Simons is playing. If he looks good to go, I'm willing to back the Blazers at +9 or better.
My best bet: Blazers +11.5 (-110 at bet365)
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Trail Blazers vs Suns spread analysis
The Suns are 6-2 straight up (5-3 ATS) this season with a net rating of plus-10.5, but both of those losses have come against Portland. They lost in overtime to the Blazers in Portland two weeks ago and lost 108-106 last night despite entering as 12-point home favorites.
The Blazers are also 6-2 SU (albeit with a lower net rating of plus-3.1) and have gone a sizzling 7-1 ATS. Playing without Lillard for the last three games hasn't been easy, but the Blazers still managed to beat the Rockets and Suns while covering the spread versus the Grizzlies.
The status of Simons for today will be important to monitor since the Blazers won't have a true point guard if Simons, Lillard, and Gary Payton III are all sidelined.
That said, Justise Winslow filled in as the facilitator last night and dished out nine assists, while Josh Hart dropped six dimes and Jerami Grant had five.
Trail Blazers vs Suns Over/Under analysis
The total of 216.5 tonight looks a tad low until you consider the slower tempo that both teams have been playing at this season. The Blazers are 23rd in the league in pace (and have been playing at roughly the same speed without Lillard), while the Suns are 25th.
The Suns are also fourth in the league in defensive rating. While the Blazers are a more modest 12th, that's a massive improvement from last season, where they ranked 29th.
With the Suns' lack of scoring depth and the Blazers possibly playing without Dame and Simons once again, a lower-scoring contest is likely in the works.
Trail Blazers vs Suns betting trend to know
The Under is 7-0 in the Trail Blazers' last seven road games. Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Suns.
Trail Blazers vs Suns game info
| Location: | Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ |
| Date: | Saturday, November 5, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports AZ, ROOT Sports Extra |
