Portland vs Phoenix Prediction: We should take advantage of the home team odds

Portland has lost four of the last five face-offs to Phoenix, but now the Blazers have a chance to get even. The odds on the home team's win have gone up a lot, and they should take advantage of it.

The team that Damian Lillard has assembled over the past year is difficult to call a championship team, but if the team's new leaders play their best basketball, Portland could make some noise in the playoffs. Anfernee Simons has become a bit of a substitute, and the young guard could be as good as McCollum in terms of his offensive arsenal. Jerami Grant has a chance to be a 2-3 star with the Blazers, a role that suits him better than leading the lowly Detroit. The club has decent defensive role players like Josh Hart, Gary Payton, and Nassir Little, but Payton is injured for now. Rookie Shaedon Sharpe should not be overlooked, although it's unlikely he'll get a serious role with the Blazers right off the bat.

Chauncey Billups' team lost all 4 of its preseason games against NBA clubs but defeated Sacramento State 115-108 to start the regular season. Surprisingly, only seven Portland players scored against the Kings. Lillard and Simons had a poor game, sinking just 14 of 40 shots from the field, but Grant and Hart provided the backup. Winslow and Sharp came off the bench, with the latter, along with Grant, being the Blazers' best shooter in the game. The fact that Portland outrebounded their opponents more often and had fewer losses also helped.

After their sensational loss to Dallas, the Suns weren't at their best. Chris Paul may no longer be able to play at his stellar level, although he is still useful as a playmaker. Much now depends on Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton continuing to progress, while Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson are unlikely to become anything more than role players. Phoenix's defensive potential has no longer diminished, and that's against the backdrop of the club taking Jae Crowder out of the rotation. Only Landry Shamet is out, while Jock Landale's participation in the game against Portland is still questionable.

Monty Williams' men showed grit in their recent game against Dallas and battled back from a 22-point deficit. The final score was 107-105 in favor of Phoenix. The Suns shot poorly from beyond the arc that night, but eight successful three-pointers proved enough. Deandre Ayton dominated under the basket and sometimes cleaned up after his teammates, Cam Johnson and Damion Lee, each made 3-pointers and in critical situations, Devin Booker dragged in 28 points. Chris Paul didn't pull his weight and made only 6 shots from the field, but he dished out 9 assists.

The Suns had too many problems in their home game against Dallas, and in any case, it is alarming that Phoenix let their opponent within 20+ points of them. Portland can improve on offense; certainly, Lillard and Simons will try harder on the home court, and Nurkic can also step up. If the Blazers can play offensively, they might contend for the win. Our prediction for Portland vs Phoenix is as follows:

• H1 (+6.5) for 1.75;
• Total Over 224.5 points for 2.00;
• Portland to win including overtime for 2.75.