The red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder (51-11) look to continue their dominant season as they welcome the struggling Portland Trail Blazers (28-35) to Paycom Center on Friday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters the matchup in spectacular form, fresh off a 41-point masterclass against Memphis, while Portland's Anfernee Simons aims to build on his recent 30-point outburst despite his team's defensive woes.
The contrast couldn't be starker between the league's second-best defense in OKC (allowing just 106.9 points per game) and a Trail Blazers squad that's been searching for answers on both ends of the floor as the Thunder aim to protect their home court.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Oklahoma City Thunder vs Portland Trail Blazers matchup, our predictive model gives the Thunder a 53.5% chance of defeating the Blazers.
Pre-game probabilities
Oklahoma City Thunder
Moneyline
Win %
53.5%
46.5%
Portland Trail Blazers
Oklahoma City Thunder: 53.5% win probability
- League-leading defense (Only 6,629 goals against, best in Western Conference)
- Dominant regular season record (51-11, #1 in Western Conference)
- Red-hot momentum (Perfect WWWWW recent form)
Portland Trail Blazers: 46.5% win probability
- Poor defensive record (7,211 goals against, 4th worst in Northwest Division)
- Struggling win rate (28-35 record, 12th in Western Conference)
- Inconsistent performance (Mixed LWLWW recent form)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts. Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts..
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Portland Trail Blazers | |
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers preview
The red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder host the Trail Blazers at Paycom Center in what's shaping up to be a classic David vs. Goliath matchup.
OKC's been absolutely crushing it this season with a league-leading 51-11 record, powered by their suffocating defense that's holding opponents to a measly 43.5% shooting - the best in the NBA.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes into this one on fire after dropping 41 points against Memphis, and he's been giving opposing guards nightmares all season.
Portland's struggling to find their rhythm, but Anfernee Simons showed some serious spark in their last outing with 30 points on 57% shooting against the Celtics.
The Thunder's defensive prowess could spell trouble for a Blazers squad that's been having a tough time taking care of the ball, averaging 16 turnovers per game.
While the Thunder are clicking on all cylinders with nearly 120 points per game, Portland's offense has been stuck in neutral, ranking 23rd in the league at 110.8 points.
This matchup pits the league's stingiest defense against a Blazers team that's been searching for answers on both ends of the floor.
Keep an eye on the turnover battle - OKC's been forcing almost 18 giveaways per game, which could be the key factor in this cross-conference clash.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers form
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers head to head
Oklahoma City Thunder
67%
Portland Trail Blazers
33%
Jan 26, 2025
Portland Trail Blazers
108 : 118
Oklahoma City Thunder
Nov 21, 2024
Oklahoma City Thunder
109 : 99
Portland Trail Blazers
Nov 2, 2024
Portland Trail Blazers
114 : 137
Oklahoma City Thunder
Mar 7, 2024
Portland Trail Blazers
120 : 128
Oklahoma City Thunder
Jan 24, 2024
Oklahoma City Thunder
111 : 109
Portland Trail Blazers
Jan 12, 2024
Oklahoma City Thunder
139 : 77
Portland Trail Blazers
