76ers vs Trail Blazers Odds and Picks

• The 76ers take on the Trail Blazers in the NBA’s showcase game tonight in Portland (TNT, 10 p.m. EST)
• Portland stunned the 76ers in their last meeting, with a dominant 121-105 win on February 4
• Read below for complete analysis, odds and a pick on the game

Few NBA head coaches have been as resourceful as Terry Stotts has been for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Every year seems to bring with it a new set of circumstances that asks him to do more with less and keep his team in the Western Conference playoff picture year after year. This season has been another turbulent one thus far, and it might get worse before it gets better tonight when Philadelphia comes to town.

The 76ers are  5.5-point favorites and have won 9 of their last 11 games heading into tonight. One of the two losses in that run come at the hands of Portland, who won 121-105. The Blazers have won four of their last six games, but at 13-10 overall this season, they are fighting to stay competitive in the playoff picture while a few of their top players are still out with injuries.

76ers vs Trail Blazers Odds

Odds taken from FanDuel on Feb. 11th

Lessons Learned From Last Time

Philadelphia never looked entirely threatening when these two played earlier in the month. Portland’s perimeter defense created numerous sloppy 76ers turnovers and Philly missed its first 12 three-point attempts. Had it not been for Joel Embiid’s herculean effort, the 76ers might not have even been in the game at all.

Possession has been a problem all year for Philadelphia, and they rank among the league’s worst in offensive turnovers. The Blazers have been an inefficient shooting team this season, but they manage to create shots on most of their possessions. Both trends held true in their last meeting, as Philly turned the ball over 18 times to Portland’s 11, and the Blazers outshot the 76ers, 98-81. Portland shot just 45% from the floor overall, but hit 42% of its three-pointers.

The 76ers didn’t have much of an answer for the duo of CJ Elleby and Anfernee Simons, who combined for 29 points off the bench. Seth Curry, who started the season at a historic scoring pace, hasn’t been able to completely put things back together since returning from an ankle injury and COVID-19 diagnosis. He made four of his six three-point attempts on Tuesday night in Sacramento as part of a 22-point performance, and is going to need to replicate that if Philadelphia is to have a chance tonight.

Reviewing the Injury Report

Portland has been without two of its most important players in CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic since mid-January, and neither will be back until next month. Their absence clearly wasn’t an issue the last time that these two teams played, but the Blazers’ frontcourt is perilously thin right now, and the team is running a much smaller rotation.

We were holding the team back from its true potential https://t.co/1mqqHmHCh9

— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) February 5, 2021

Philadelphia point guard Shake Milton is doubtful to play tonight, which does nothing to remedy the lack of consistent production head coach Doc Rivers has gotten from that position. Danny Green has been up-and-down as a starter recently, but had just three points and finished with a plus-minus of -17 in Philadelphia’s loss to Portland.

By the Numbers

The overwhelming majority of cash and bets placed on this game has favored taking the over on 231 total points. Both teams combined for 226 in their last encounter, but both also hit on the under in each of their last two games.

SETH CURRY vs KINGS
22 PTS (7/13 FG, 4/6 3PT)

He's on pace to be the first player in the 50/50/100 Club!
(Via @StatMuse) pic.twitter.com/LE1r04nJYl

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 10, 2021

Portland is 3-1 overall against Philadelphia going back to 2019, and their games have gone over the projected point total in each, but tonight’s number seems a bit high for that to continue.  The 76ers won their last four road games, and went 3-0-1 against the spread during that run, meanwhile, Portland is 2-3 ATS at home over its last five games.

Philadelphia has been a top-ten team scoring in the paint over its last three games, and should want to be more aggressive attacking the basket tonight after their troubles setting things up in their half court offense last time out. If Curry can return with the presence that he had against the Kings earlier this week, the 76ers should be able to create more space for Embiid and others to drive to the basket.

The Pick: Philadelphia -5.5 (-110)