The Oklahoma City Thunder bring their undefeated record to Portland for a Thursday night clash against the Trail Blazers. After a few narrow victories early in the season, the Thunder have dominated their last three games with winning margins of 19, 29, and 19 points.
Portland is coming off a 123-115 loss at home to the Lakers, despite being -9.5 favorites. This defeat dropped them to a 4-3 overall record and 2-2 at home. Oddsmakers have favored the Thunder slightly as road favorites in this matchup.
Jrue Holiday has had a mixed start in his first season with Portland. As the primary ball-handler, he is crucial to the team's developing offense. Despite some inconsistency, Holiday is capable of recording at least seven assists in the upcoming home game.
"The 35-year-old guard is averaging 8.3 assists per game early in the season and has reached seven or more assists in five out of seven games. In the two games against the Lakers where he fell just short, he still totaled nine and fourteen potential assists."
Prior to the Lakers games, Holiday posted 13 and 11 assists in his home appearances. Considering this, betting on him to reach at least seven assists again offers attractive odds.
The Thunder have shown strong momentum with commanding wins recently, while the Trail Blazers are still trying to stabilize after losses and adjustments. Expect a competitive game with the Thunder maintaining a slight edge on the road.
Author’s summary: The undefeated Thunder face a recovering Trail Blazers team with Jrue Holiday's playmaking expected to be a key factor in a closely contested matchup.