Golden State At Portland NBA Game 3 Expert Predictions

Posted by Henry Watkins on Friday,April 21, 2017 12:45, EDT in

Heading into the NBA playoffs, you would expect that all the pressure would be on the team defending the crown, which in this case is the Cleveland Cavaliers. While they certainly have some pressure to overcome, it’s also fair to say that they have been written off by a lot of people, especially when you look at how poor they were coming down the stretch. The reality this year is that the biggest burden of all would appear to be sitting on the shoulders of the Golden State Warriors. There are those who would suggest that this team essentially gave the title to the Cavs last year after blowing a 3-1 series lead in the finals. Had they won that, they would be a 2-time defending champion who got even stronger this season with the acquisition of Kevin Durant. This is an undeniably great team, and the feeling among many experts is that they are going to be unstoppable this postseason. They have certainly looked that way through the opening 2 games, and they will get the chance to show off the goods once again in Game 3 in Portland on Saturday night. Find the latest NBA betting picks here.

In Depth Analysis On The Warriors At Trail Blazers NBA Game 3 Expert Predictions

When: Saturday, April 22 at 3 PM EST
Where: Moda Center, Portland
TV: ESPN, KGWHD, NBCS – BA, TSN1/4
Radio: RIP CITY RADIO 620, 95.7 THE GAME
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
NBA Odds: Golden State Warriors -6 (-110)

 

 

Why bet on the Golden State Warriors

The Warriors got their postseason underway with a 12-point win over Portland, which was a little tighter than most people expected. Perhaps they were just starting to settle into a groove, because Game 2 was a major blowout, with the Warriors winning that one 110-81. They are a 5.5-point favorite for their first postseason road game this year, and that appears to be a number that is a little on the small side. The Warriors have, if you include this series, beaten Portland 8 straight times, with many of those wins coming in blowout fashion. The reason why the spread for this one may be so low is because the last meeting in Portland was a close one, with the Warriors winning 113-111.

Why bet on the Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers will be looking at that last home meeting with the Warriors and trying to convince themselves that they have what it takes to hang with the big boys. The reality of the situation is that they don’t. Besides losing 8-straight to the Warriors, Portland managed to go just 17-26 versus teams with a record above .500 during the regular season. They were shut down offensively in a pretty big way in the opening two games of this one, and they just don’t have enough talent to slow down the powerhouse Warriors offense. As an underdog this season, the Trail Blazers have gone 17-21 ATS.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Portland are going to try and make a fast start in front of what is sure to be a raucous home crowd, but the class of the Warriors is eventually going to start to shine through. A comfortable win for Golden State in the end.

Golden State Warriors 117 Portland Trail Blazers 99