Warriors vs. Trail Blazers Odds, Preview, Prediction: Total Has Value With Surging Offenses (February 24)

Warriors vs. Trail Blazers Odds

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will take a trip up the coast to visit the Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

Prior to the All-Star break, Golden State lost four of its last five games, but it still finds itself in second in the Western Conference behind only the Suns. Portland hasn't had nearly as much success, but prior to the break it was able to win four straight games and piece together a nice stretch of basketball.

The trade deadline looks like it might have helped move Portland in the correct direction again, but will it be able to add on to its momentum against one of the best teams in the Western Conference?

Warriors Among League's Elite on Both Ends

The Warriors enter this matchup as one of the best all-around teams in the NBA, returning to form after missing the playoffs last season.

The offense, led by Curry, has been spectacular up to this point, posting an Offensive Rating of 111.4 through 59 games. Furthermore, perhaps not surprisingly, the Warriors rank in the top five in 3-point percentage this season, an aspect of their game that has been tearing opponents apart for years.

The introduction of Klay Thompson back into the lineup and solid seasons from both Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole has given this team the extra edge they need in the Western Conference. As a result, this is a scoring attack that is well-positioned to make a late run at the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Perhaps even more crucial to Golden State's success has been its stellar play on the defensive end of the floor, an area that has seen lots of improvement for most of the year when compared to last season.

During the 2020-21 season, Golden State posted a 109.4 Defensive Rating, but this season that number has gone down to 104.6 and is the best mark in the NBA. The Warriors are holding their opponents to just 103.7 points per game, 43.3% shooting from the floor and 33.4% from behind the arc.

No McCollum, No Problem?

Portland looked like it was throwing its season away at the trade deadline, but its play before the break indicates this team still has the desire and talent to compete.

In that aforementioned four-game winning streak, the Blazers saw their Offensive Rating rise to 116.0, 10th in the NBA during that stretch. That is a rather large improvement from their season rating of 109.5 and indicates that the new-look squad could be heading in the right direction.

The improvements on offense have been largely because of Anfernee Simons, who has seen his role dramatically increase with Damian Lillard's injury and CJ McCollum's departure. During Portland's win streak, Simons has averaged 30.3 points per game and shot 47% from 3-point range on nearly 13 attempts per game.

In addition, Portland has seen its Defensive Rating fall to 108.8 from 113.7, a massive improvement on that end of the floor. As a result, the Blazers have the fifth-best Net Rating in the NBA in their last four games according to NBA Advanced Stats, showing that this is a roster with some promise.

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Warriors-Trail Blazers Pick

The Warriors have been a great defensive team this season, but their play on that end of the floor prior to the All-Star break was concerning and looked quite vulnerable.

In its last five games, Golden State has seen its Defensive Rating soar to 118.0. In that same stretch, it has surrendered an average of 115.6 points per game. To make matters worse, the Warriors will still likely be without Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala for this game.

However, Golden State has still managed to average 112.3 points per game in its last four games, so the offensive firepower is still there. Furthermore, Portland is ranked 26th in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage, allowing its opponents to shoot 39% from deep. That falls right into Golden State's wheelhouse.

Portland has also shown increased power and efficiency on that floor, as well with their new roster, which is why I think we are in store for a high-scoring affair in both squads first games back from the break.

Pick: Over 223.5 (-110)