The clear Mybookie.ag favorites to win the Western Conference for a fifth straight season is the Golden State Warriors, also clear leaders to win another NBA title. Yet, TNT’s Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley both recently predicted that the Portland Trail Blazers would win the West. Get your bets down now! Here’s a look at two intriguing matchups around the NBA early this week. Check back for NBA odds.
Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – March 11th
#Rockets head back to Houston with a W in Dallas!
Watch the highlights here ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/RdgjzIJzFO — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) 11 de marzo de 2019
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers
- When: Tuesday, 10:30 PM ET (NBA League Pass)
The Portland Trail Blazers snapped a two-game losing streak with Saturday’s 127-120 over terrible Phoenix. C.J. McCollum made 11-of-14 from the field for 26 points, Saturday, adding three rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal, and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes. It was 24-23 at the end of the first, but the Blazers just poured it on with 42 points in the second quarter and 36 in the third. McCollum has caught fire with four 25-plus scoring games over his last five, averaging 23.8 points over the stretch. Seth Curry scored a season-high 22 points.
Key bench player Evan Turner sat again Tuesday with a sore knee and Rodney Hood left with a sore right hip. Not clear if either will be back Tuesday.
IT’s the second of a back-to-back for the LA Clippers, who had a tough one Monday night at home vs. Boston. LA entered that on a four-game winning streak to solidify its playoff chances. Last Friday, Lou Williams (11,120) passed Jamal Crawford (11,104) for No. 2 on the career points off the bench leaderboard in a win over OKC. The record id 11,147 points by Dell Curry, a mark Williams should break here (if he didn’t on Monday – he as 27 behind).
This is the last regular-season meeting between these clubs, with Portland up 2-1. They haven’t played since Dec. 17. Damian Lillard has averaged 31.3 points (47.2% FG, 44.4% 3-PT, 82.4% FT), 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists vs. L.A. this season, while McCollum has averaged 22.7 points (45.0% FG, 42.9% 3-PT, 100% FT), 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
- When: Wednesday, 9:30 PM ET (ESPN)
The Houston Rockets try for the stunning four-game season sweep of the Warriors. The teams last met on Feb. 23 in Oakland and the Rockets were 118-112 winners. That was stunning because James Harden sat out. Stephen Curry’s 3 with 1:57 to play pulled the Warriors to 114-108 and his two free throws at 1:26 made it a four-point game before Houston came through at the line.
Chris Paul had 23 points and also got his 9,000th career assist during the win. with at least 17,000 points, 9,000 assists, and 4,000 rebounds joining Jason Kidd, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and John Stockton. Paul ranks eighth in NBA history in assists.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Curry added 25 with five 3s, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Warriors. Early in the fourth, Golden State’s Draymond Green exited the game with a sprained left ankle after grabbing at his foot in clear pain from stepping on teammate DeMarcus Cousins’ foot.
The magic number seems to be 120 for the Golden State Warriors. They have scored at least 120 points in 31 games this season, posting a 28-3 record in those games. The losses came in two overtime games – at Toronto on November 29 (128-131) and vs. Houston on January 3 (135-134) and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at Miami on February 27 (126-125).
The Warriors also have won 13 games this season after trailing by 10 or more points. The latest comeback came on March 2 at Philadelphia as the Warriors overcame a 14-point 76ers lead (71-57 with 11:07 left in the third quarter) for a 120-117 win.
