After losing starting forward Jeremy Sochan to a thumb injury, the San Antonio Spurs have since dropped two consecutive games.
This is a brutal development for a Spurs team that had just previously logged back-to-back double-digit wins and appeared to be generating some momentum.
Meanwhile, Portland has found a way to stay competitive in an uber-competitive Western Conference, keeping most of its matchups close — aside from blowout losses to Golden State and Oklahoma City.
After opening at 5.5 points in favor of the Spurs on their home floor, the spread has since tightened to 4.5 points.
So, which of these sub-.500 teams can walk away from this game with a win?
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Blazers | +4.5 (-115) | +145 | Over 218.5 (-110) |
| Spurs | -4.5 (-105) | -175 | Under 218.5 (-110) |
(8:00 p.m. ET, FDSSW)
Portland has surprised thus far in the season, holding a 5-2-1 record against the spread (ATS).
Meanwhile, San Antonio has covered half of its eight games.
The most significant news entering this Western Conference matchup is Sochan’s thumb injury, which will sideline him for the foreseeable future.
The Spurs will undoubtedly miss Sochan’s two-way play.
Their 27-point loss to Houston is a perfect example of how vital he is to the team.
On the other hand, the Blazers’ relatively strong road play thus far has been an interesting development, as they rank 12th in net rating, 11th in offensive rebounding percentage and fourth in opponent field goal percentage in those games.
Unfortunately, Sochan’s injury will cause the Spurs, a team that already struggles with depth and bench play (fourth-lowest net rating), to flounder.
Sochan’s versatile, switchable defense and frontcourt playmaking will be thoroughly missed, allowing opponents to hone in even more on second-year sensation Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs will now miss Sochan, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones — two key starters and their backup point guard.
Head coach Gregg Popovich is currently away from the team due to health issues.
Further, Wembanyama is a force, but the Blazers have a few bigs they can rotate on him to try to wear him down throughout the game, including their first-round selection, Donovan Clingan, and starting center Deandre Ayton.
I’ll take the Blazers to keep this one close.
Best Bet: Portland Trail Blazers +4.5 (-115, ESPNBet)
Andrew Norton handicaps the NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved a standout 14.1% ROI, cashing 60% of his NBA spread picks and leading Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.