San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction, 12/29/2023 Preview and Pick

Game: San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers

Date: Friday, December 29, 2023

Location: Moda Center in Portland, OR

TV: ROOT Sports

Moda Center is where the Portland Trail Blazers (8-21) will attempt to beat the San Antonio Spurs (4-25) on Friday.

The Spurs stepped onto the hardwood against the Jazz and ended up losing by a score of 130-118 in their last game. In reference to fouls, the Spurs left the arena with 18 and the Jazz had 21 fouls. They also knocked down 16 out of their 43 attempts from distance. Utah finished shooting 90.9% at the free throw line by burying 20 of their 22 shots. Moreover, Utah grabbed 53 boards (13 offensive, 40 defensive) and added 8 blocked shots. Utah distributed 34 dimes and had 4 steals in the game. Pertaining to defense, San Antonio allowed 49.5% from the floor on 47 of 95 shooting. They also recorded 36 assists for the game while forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and earning 8 steals. When discussing grabbing rebounds, they earned 43 with 13 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the free throw line, the Spurs converted 14 of their 21 shots for a percentage of 66.7%. San Antonio wrapped up the game having earned a 44.9% FG percentage (44 of 98) and converted 16 out of their 35 shots from downtown.

Keldon Johnson is one player who was a factor for this contest. He accounted for 26 points on 9 out of 20 shooting. He played for 30 mins and also grabbed 4 rebounds. Johnson finished shooting 45.0% from the floor and distributed 3 dimes.

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San Antonio heads into this one with a mark of 4-25 so far this year. They have an average of 110.9 points per contest (25th in the NBA) on 45.4% from the field. The Spurs are hitting 34.5% on shots from 3-point land (373 of 1,080) and 77.5% from the charity stripe. As a team, San Antonio is pulling in 43.3 rebounds per contest and has earned 844 assists so far this year, which has them ranked 5th in basketball in terms of passing. They turn the ball over 15.5 times per contest and as a team are committing 19.0 fouls per contest.

On the defensive end of the court, the Spurs are forcing their opponents into 13.5 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.5 fouls. They rank 24th in the league in giving up assists to the opposition with 832 surrendered on the season. The Spurs defense is allowing a FG percentage of 49.4% (1,315 of 2,663) and they relinquish 46.3 rebounds per contest as a squad. They concede 39.2% from beyond the arc and they are 28th in the NBA in points per game allowed (123.2).

The last time they took the court, the Trail Blazers walked away with a victory by a final of 130-113 when they faced the Kings. The Trail Blazers corralled 30 defensive boards and 16 offensive boards for a total of 46 for the matchup. They also coughed up the ball 7 times, while earning 5 steals for the contest. The Kings were called for 16 fouls for this game which took the Trail Blazers to the free throw line for a total of 20 attempts. They were able to make 16 of them for a percentage of 80.0%. With respect to three-point shots, Portland converted 16 out of 40 attempts (40.0%). When the final whistle was blown, the Trail Blazers went 49 out of 98 from the floor which gave them a rate of 50.0%. The Trail Blazers permitted the Kings to convert 45 out of their 93 tries from the floor which left them with a rate of 48.4% for this contest. They shot 23.8% from three-point range by shooting 10 of 42 and finished the game at 13 out of 16 from the charity stripe (81.3%). In reference to attacking the glass, Portland allowed Sacramento to pull down 4 in total (11 on the offensive glass).

Anfernee Simons was important for the Trail Blazers for this contest. Simons recorded 29 points in his 35 minutes on the court and had 3 dimes for this game. He made 12 out of 25 in the game for a field goal rate of 48.0%, and had 4 rebounds.

Portland has a record of 8-21 on the campaign. When it comes to executing on offense, the Trail Blazers are connecting on 44.0% from the floor, which is 29th in the NBA. Portland has accounted for 3,153 pts on the year (108.7 per contest) and they collect 41.2 boards per contest. Their rate of earning assists is at 22.6 times per contest (30th in basketball) and they turn it over 15.1 times per game. The Trail Blazers have committed 20.6 fouls per contest and they hit 79.9% from the charity stripe.

The Portland defense surrenders 32.6% on shots from distance (310 of 951) and opponents are making 80.5% of their free throw shots. They concede 26.6 dimes and 44.9 rebounds every game, which is ranked 17th and 24th in the league. The Trail Blazers on defense are ranked 17th in the NBA in points allowed per contest with 114.7. They are forcing 15.8 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 49.0% from the floor (25th in the league).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take San Antonio

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