Trail Blazers vs Celtics Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Wednesday, March 8th

Check out our free Trail Blazers vs Celtics pick and preview for this NBA game in Boston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Trail Blazers vs Celtics NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers at Boston Celtics
Where: Boston at TD Garden
Date: Wednesday, March 8th
Betting Odds BOS -10.5, POR +382 | BOS -511 O/U nan

The Trail Blazers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 31-34. So far, the team has gone 33-32-0 against the spread. Over the team’s 2 game win streak, they have an average scoring differential of 4.5 points per game.

In their previous game, the Trail Blazers took down the Pistons by a score of 110-104. Not only did they come away with a straight up win, but they also covered the spread as 4 point favorites. In the game, Portland was able to hold on to their first half lead, as they led the Pistons by 8 going into the second half. Leading the team in scoring was Damian Lillard, as he contributed 31 points while hitting 35.7% of his shots.

The Celtics come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 45-21. So far, the team has gone 33-31-2 against the spread. Today, the Celtics will be looking to snap a 3 game losing streak. The team has lost these games by an average of -5.33 points per contest.

Boston will be gunning to get in the win column vs Portland, as they previously lost to the Cavaliers by a score of 118-114. However, because they entered as 8 point underdogs, they came away with an ATS win. Boston let an opportunity for a win slip away as they held a lead going into the 2nd half of action. In the loss, Jaylen Brown led the team in scoring with 32 points on a field goal percentage of 46.2%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

Last year, the Trail Blazers and Celtics played to a series split, with each team winning on the road. Between the two teams, they combined to average 258.0 points per contest. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Trail Blazers averaged 113.0 points per game vs Boston, which was an increase over their season-long average. On the other side, the Celtics also experienced an uptick in scoring during head-to-head matchups, averaging 125.0 points per game vs Portland. Across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings between the teams, both Portland and Boston have an ATS record of 2-2-1. The Celtics hold the edge in average point differential at +4 points per game. A combined average of 240 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 5-0.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Through 65 games, the Trail Blazers are averaging 114.9 points per contest, placing them 15th in the NBA. So far, the Trail Blazers are averaging 97.5 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. A key aspect of the team’s offensive struggles is the fact that they not only play at a slow pace, but they struggle to score inside. Heading into today’s game, Portland is just 25th in shots made inside the arc.

Defensively, Portland has had its problems giving up an average of 115.11 points per game (27th).

This season, the Trail Blazers offense has primarily worked through Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant who are 1st and 2nd on the team in scoring. In his 52 games, Lillard is 3rd in the NBA at 32.4 points per game. So far, him and Grant have accounted for 42% of the team’s field goal attempts while combining to average 53.2 points per contest. In addition to sitting 2nd on the team in scoring, Jerami Grant is grabbing 4.4 rebounds for Portland to go along with 2.4 assists.

Boston will look to continue with their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 117.7 points per game (4th). So far, the Celtics are averaging 99.5 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. One thing to keep an eye on is if the Celtics will be able to maintain their current level of scoring. Not only does the team tend to play a slower style of basketball, but they are just 29th in shots made inside the arc.

So far, the Celtics have played well defensively, as they are ranked 1st in the league at 104.48 points per contest.

On offense, Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics in scoring at 30.3 points per game, placing him 6th in the NBA. Overall, Tatum has hit 46.0% of his shots while accounting for 24.3% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 6th in points allowed to small-forwards. At 26.6 points per game, Jaylen Brown is the 2nd leading scorer for the Celtics. For the season, he is 68th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 48.6%.