The Oklahoma City Thunder are Ready for NBA Season, is the Betting Crowd?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have to be quietly confident that they can win the Western Conference and gain a rematch with the Miami Heat for the NBA title this season. Sports Betting on the NBA is gaining more and more popularity.
Portland Trail Blazers @ Oklahoma City Thunder – Friday, November 2
Sport betting line: Thunder -8 1/2 and Total is 204
Why Portland Will Win
With an online horse betting guru or a college football betting expert, the calculus that goes into betting on NBA basketball might seem foreign, but even for those who do not possess an intimate feel for or understanding of the game of basketball, it should be apparent why Portland has a very legitimate chance of winning this game on the road in the state of Oklahoma. A two-pronged case exists for the Trail Blazers as they take on the defending Western Conference champions.
First, Oklahoma City is a team in transition. The Thunder might have set themselves up for a prosperous long-term future by getting multiple players and picks from the Houston Rockets in exchange for James Harden, but in the short run, Oklahoma City might have weakened itself to the point that it will not be able to defend its West title against the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs. Harden was such a lethal scorer, for one thing, but he also brought above-average quickness to the table.
The other thing to appreciate about Harden is that with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the floor, Harden’s presence as a third option prevented defenses from being able to double-team either Durant or Westbrook on most possessions. Oklahoma City gained superior floor spacing, opening up driving and passing lanes with regularity and creating full-blown headaches for opposing defenses. With Harden now in Houston, Oklahoma City is a diminished team. It’s a team that’s trying to find the right answers to the questions it has created.
Portland can take advantage of this deficiency in the Thunder’s overall composition. The Trail Blazers dominated the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, powered by an electrifying performance from rookie point guard and burgeoning star Damian Lillard. The Blazers can outscore Oklahoma City in a shootout now that James Harden is a Houston Rocket.
Why Oklahoma City Will Win
When you look at this game, you will acknowledge that Portland has a chance, but you have to step back and assess Blazers-Thunder in a larger context.
Online football betting students know that playing at home matters. This is true in college football, but it’s also true in the NBA. Portland and its youthful lineup thrived on home hardwood against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, but now the Blazers have to go inside one of the loudest and most intimidating venues in the NBA, one that the veteran San Antonio Spurs were not able to solve in last spring’s Western Conference Finals. Trust the Thunder, who still have a lot of talent (to say the least), to get the job done here.
Who Will Win?
The sense here is that Oklahoma City will defend its home court and play with great energy on defense, throttling Portland in the process.
Click here to get more information on the latest basketball betting odds.
NBA Betting Pick: Oklahoma City
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