With the availability of Victor Wembanyama (concussion) very much in question, the San Antonio Spurs are in Portland for a pivotal Game 3 tonight as their first round series continues against Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers tied at one game apiece.
A finalist for NBA MVP this season and the league’s top defensive player, Wembanyama did light cardio work with the team before traveling with the Spurs to Portland yesterday. Symptoms are said to have not gotten worse, but no official word on if they lessened or disappeared as the day progressed. Needless to say, the Spurs will not push their franchise cornerstone, but his presence is obviously a difference maker for this young team. The most recent proof of that is found in Game 2. Wembanyama suffered a hard fall in the second quarter and did not return, a departure that allowed Portland to mount a 14-point comeback to steal a road win and even the series. If Wemby is unable to go, the Spurs will lean heavily on De’Aaron Fox and last year’s Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle to carry the offensive load.
The Trail Blazers take the court tonight for their first home playoff game since 2021 with significant momentum following Scoot Henderson’s breakout 31-point performance in Game 2. Portland got their transition game rolling. Deni Avdija, who averaged over 24 points during the regular season, has been a matchup problem for San Antonio's defense, and will continue to be that and more if Wembanyama is missing from the lineup.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Portland Trail Blazers (+120), San Antonio Spurs (-142)
This game opened Spurs -3.5 with the Game Total set at 219.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Victor Wembanyama (concussion) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Jordan McLaughlin (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
David Jones Garcia (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Damian Lillard (Achilles) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
The OVER has cashed in 43 of the Blazers’ 85 games this season (43-42)
The OVER has cashed in 36 of the Spurs’ 85 games this season (36-49)
Luke Kornet scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds in 28 minutes in relief of Wembanyama in Game 2
Deni Avdija shot just 5-13 from the field in Game 2
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 5 assists in Game 2