NBA Playoff Betting – (4) Blazers at (5) Grizzlies (Game 5)

Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies (-5.5, 190 o/u)

Amongst the teams trying to make improbable comebacks in the first round of the NBA postseason, the Portland Trail Blazers (1-3, 0-2 away) have perhaps the biggest challenge. Down 3-1 to the Memphis Grizzlies (3-1, 2-0 home), the Blazers need to take Game 5 tonight in Tennessee (9:30 PM Eastern at the FedEx Forum) to stave off elimination for another day.

After dropping the first three games of the series (in convincing fashion), the Blazers finally showed up on Monday night, winning 99-92 in Game 4 and covering the spread as four-point favorites.  Portland point guard Damian Lillard took advantage of the absence of his counterpart, Mike Conley, torching Conley’s replacements (Beno Udrih and Nick Calathes) for 32 points in the win.

Conley has been ruled out for Game 5, as well, and the health of Udrih has also become an issue. The Slovenian guard is battling through an ankle injury, but is expected to suit up tonight.

With Conley out again, Lillard could be poised for another big night. But Memphis coach Dave Joerger isn’t just concerned with the sharp-shooting Blazer guard.

“Lillard is a heck of a player, but we’ve got serious problems right now with C.J. McCollum,” said Joerger. “He is getting to the rim … on us over and over and over. We have to do a better job of keeping in front of him.”

Despite the injuries, the Grizzlies had the chance for the sweep in Game 4, leading by double-digits midway through the final frame. But the defense collapsed late, giving up 31 points in the fourth quarter.

The nature of the loss left a bitter taste in the mouth of forward Zach Randolph.

“When you’re up 10 points with [eight] minutes in the game in this league, you got to finish,” said Randolph. “Especially in these circumstances and what we’re playing for. So it’s frustrating.”

In the trends, Memphis is 7-1 SU in its last eight games against Portland (and 5-0 SU in the last five of those at home).

The injuries to Conley and Udrih are concerning, but don’t expect the Memphis defense to collapse in Game 5 like it did in Game 4. The fact of the matter is Memphis has had Portland’s number – especially at home – so the Grizzlies laying the points (-5.5) is the play tonight.

(Photo credit: nikk_la (Flickr: K26A0442) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)