Celtics vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, NBA Picks & Odds: Friday, 3/17

While March Madness has taken center stage, there’s still a great eight-game slate in the NBA tonight, and we have our eyes on one matchup in particular. For as good as Damian Lillard is and has been, the Portland Trail Blazers are very thin behind the point guard, and it should not be a surprise that they are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and 10 game stretch in which they are 3-7. While the Boston Celtics are just 5-5 in their last 10, these are two teams that are clearly heading in opposite directions, and at this point in the season, that cannot be ignored.

We have a lot to think about for tonight’s matchup, and our experts have provided their Celtics vs. Trail Blazers predictions with odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook.

BOSTON CELTICS VS. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS PREDICTION: Celtics -4.5 (-110 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

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Celtics vs. Trail Blazers Predictions for Friday, 3/17

Portland will go as far as Damian Lillard can take them, but lately it has not been enough for them. From a personal standpoint, Lillard is averaging 29.5 points, 9.5 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game in his last four games, but the problem is where any supplementary offense will come from. Jerami Grant is questionable with a quadriceps injury, so the onus will then fall on players such as Nassir Little and Cam Reddish to step up.

The big issue to keep an eye on is the fact that Boston’s Jayson Tatum is listed as questionable with a hip injury. With the Celtics also having a game tomorrow, it will be interesting to see how they handle this situation. Even without Tatum, Jaylen Brown is more than capable of carrying the load with support from Marcus Smart and Derrick White, among others.

Celtics vs. Trail Blazers NBA Picks and Best Bet

From a matchup perspective, the game script does not line up well for Portland. The Trail Blazers struggle defensively with a defensive rating of 27th on the season and with the Celtics success on offense (fourth with 117.5 points per game), they should be able to navigate Portland with ease. On the other side of the ball, Boston’s defensive rating is also fourth in the league, so they have the upper hand on both sides of the ball.

None of this should be surprising as Boston ranks second in the NBA with 46 Pythagorean Wins, while Portland is 24th with just 31. We’re not too concerned about home court here, and instead the angle is to just search for the best team while taking advantage of a potential discount with Tatum’s status in doubt.

With that being said, the best bet from our Celtics vs. Trail Blazers predictions is for Boston to cover the 4.5-point spread.

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Celtics vs. Trail Blazers Odds Provided by BetMGM

Our experts made their Celtics vs. Trail Blazers predictions with odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. Portland +4.5 comes with -110 odds, while Boston -4.5 is priced at the same -110 odds. That means an $11 wager on the Trail Blazers will profit $10 if they don’t lose by more than four points or pull off the upset, while the same $11 bet on the Celtics will win $10 if they win by at least five points.

The total (over/under) is set at 231 points with -110 odds on both the over and under. Keep in mind that you can place your first bet on any market after creating a new account at BetMGM Sportsbook and receive first-bet insurance of up to

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