The Golden State Warriors aim to take a commanding lead in the Western Conference Finals when they travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is set to tip at 9 p.m. from the Moda Center. The Warriors rolled to a 116-94 blowout in Game 1 at Oracle Arena but needed to overcome a 17-point deficit in the second half Thursday night to escape with a 114-111 victory and take a 2-0 series edge. The Warriors split two games in Portland during the regular season, but the Trail Blazers are 5-1 on their home floor during the 2019 NBA Playoffs. Portland is a 2.5-point sportsbook favorite and the over-under for total points scored is 220 in the latest Warriors vs. Blazers odds. Before you make any Warriors vs. Blazers picks, be sure to see the NBA playoff predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks. It entered the conference finals in the 2019 NBA Playoffs with a sterling record on its top-rated picks, returning more than $3,000 in profit to anybody following them this season. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA money line picks, entering the conference finals on a strong 85-61 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has zeroed in on Game 3 of Warriors vs. Blazers in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. We can tell you it’s leaning over and it has also generated a point-spread pick that hits in over 50 percent of simulations. That one is only available at SportsLine.
The model knows the Trail Blazers will be desperate to earn a Game 3 victory and likely salvage their hopes for remaining competitive in the series. They won Game 3 on their home floor against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round and against the Denver Nuggets in the second round.
Despite squandering a 15-point halftime lead in Game 2, Portland can take confidence from seeing a much-improved performance compared to the series opener. The Trail Blazers appeared to hit a flat spot following their seven-game series against Denver and took a 116-94 loss in Game 1.
They were more efficient on both ends in Game 2. They drilled 18 three-pointers while shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc and their active defense made it difficult for Curry and Klay Thompson to find open looks. They forced 16 turnovers that they converted into 18 points. Damian Lillard led five players in double-figures with 23 points.
Portland has covered four of the last five games following a straight-up loss, but there’s no guarantee it will be able to cover the Warriors vs. Blazers spread against a Golden State club that will be determined to take a stronghold on the series.
The Warriors got a major boost in Game 2 from forward Draymond Green, who played one of his better floor games in recent memory. Green was the lone bright spot in an otherwise flat first half for Golden State with his defense and precision passes to cutting teammates. Despite playing with five fouls down the stretch, he also made some key fourth-quarter plays, including a lob to Kevon Looney for a dunk as the shot clock expired. Green finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks.
Golden State’s role players also came up big. Looney hit all six of his shots and had 14 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Fellow reserve Jordan Bell managed 11 points and three rebounds in 14 minutes. Andre Iguodala had just four points in 31 minutes, but he sealed the victory by slapping the ball way from Damian Lillard on a potential tying 3-point attempt as time expired.
Who wins Game 3 of Blazers vs. Warriors? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Blazers vs. Warriors spread you should be all over Saturday, all from the model that’s up more than $3,000 on top-rated NBA picks this season.
